My Eyes
by Shiranui the Brave
Summary: Hinata leaves Konoha to become stronger. When Sasuke conveniently appears and decides to train her, everything changes. The mysterious Akatsuki, furious Bijuu, impossible odds and love await the two on their deep dive into destiny. Ch. 13 uploaded!
1. Prologue

**My Eyes**  
By Shiranui the Brave

**Author's Notes:**

Hey everybody! I finally got my first fanfiction ready, and its meant to be mainly centered on Hinata, just after Asuma died (in part 2). Now, since I'm going to be diverging from the manga, I'm really not going to pay much heed to people telling me, "That's not how it went". I know full well how the story proceeds after Asuma's death, and hey, since this is going to be from Hinata's perspective, it won't even matter much. Originally, _Naruto Legends_ was supposed to be my first story posted but as of now, I'd like to get a couple of chapters down first, so that I can set the necessary backstory before heading into the action. Oh, and a disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I don't claim to own any of the Naruto characters or any of the places that appear in the Naruto story (other places are original). There is no yaoi, no yuri, and no idiotic humour. It's a love story with a dash of action and adventure. Enjoy!

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**Prologue**

_I have to become strong…_

"_Oto-sama," said the young girl timidly._

"_Hinata…Are you still wishing for a reply?" Hiashi, the leader of the Hyuuga clan and the topmost member of the Main Family looked down at his elder daughter with a blank expression._

"_H-Hai…" Hinata looked down meekly as, strands of her long indigo hair began to fall on her face._

_Hiashi let out a deep sigh and proceeded to walk into his room. Hinata was pondering on waiting for another time to receive the answer to her proposal, but she was pleasantly surprised when she found that her father was beckoning her to enter as well. Hinata smiled meekly, and seated herself on her knees, just across from where her father was sitting. He was holding a long wooden mahogany box in his hands._

"_Hinata…You are the heiress who will inherit the right to lead the Hyuuga clan. It was only a few years ago…I said that you were unworthy of bearing the Hyuuga name and that there was no place for you here." Upon seeing this, Hiashi lowered his head in shame. "However, I was wrong. You have grown into a strong young woman, whose kindness and intelligence is something from which she can create strength and the will to continue. I am proud to have you as my daughter, Hinata, and I fully support you in whatever decision you may wish to make…_

"_But Hinata, my daughter, I cannot simply allow you to leave Konoha for two years to pursue a new and rigorous training regime."_

"_Oto-sama…I…"_

"_Do not think that the council is against you leaving. Hyuuga owns many private training grounds across the entire Fire Country. It is not just because you are the heiress of Hyuuga or because I am afraid of the Byagukan falling in the wrong hands…It's simply because you are my daughter and I have grown happy to wake up each morning and see your smiling face in front of me. If something were to happen to you…If I discovered that you would never be coming back alive…That I would never see your smile again…" At this thought, he clutched the wooden box in his hands tightly._

_Hinata had remained quiet and heard what her father had to say. She then took some time to process the meaning and the reality behind his words. But as she did, she saw several images—Her cousin Neji, when he came back from his mission almost three years ago when he went up against the Sound's Four, as he nearly lost his life simply because he was forced to use Jyuuken on an enemy who specialized in long-range fighting, simply because he had practically no knowledge of long-range Ninjutsu that could be useful in such a situation; her team-mate and best friend Kiba, as he was crying in pain when the doctors were closing the wound on his stomach ("It's the most painful of all injuries and it takes a long time to die on top of that," said Tsunade-sama, which cost her countless nights of sleep); and finally, Naruto. He gave everything he had…no, it was clearly stated that he could have killed Sasuke if he wanted to but he simply couldn't go back on his words to return him alive. The injuries he sustained…the sheer magnitude of exhaustion he experienced…and worst of all, the frustration he felt when he returned empty-handed. His sad eyes simply couldn't hide this fact from Hinata, whether she was a Hyuuga or not. And what was recently happening…Naruto once again training beyond his limits to return Sasuke, the death of Sarutobi Asuma just a few weeks ago by members of the Akatsuki, the resolution of Team 10 to not back down even in the face of such powerful foes…And when she looked at her father, dressed in his pure white robes and then into his deep pearl-like eyes, she saw herself and where she would be in only a few more years. That's when the thought in her head that had strengthened her to make her proposal was reawakened and she looked at her family, her father, her friends, her village, and the entire world with a new resolution, one she wish she had the courage to make when she was younger, but nevertheless, it was still not too late._

"I am Hyuuga," said Hinata aloud, as she stopped look back in the direction of her home village. "I will not be weak…not anymore…"

She felt the sword that was now strapped on to her left side, as it remained in its sheath. This sword was passed on down the Hyuuga line for generations to each progressive heir, and now it was hers to wield. The sword that beckoned her father to send her alone, as if its aura was commanding him. The sword that her father said would always protect her no matter what happened. She hadn't had the chance to see the blade for herself, but her father told her its name. It was a charka blade, which could only be wielded by the most skilled Hyuuga, the Tsumugari. Hinata was filled with more determination and courage then ever as she knew that in order to become stronger than any of the heirs before her, to become stronger than any of her friends, to even reach the peak that the Kages and Sannins occupied, she would have to work without exhaustion or fail, and become proficient in the regime she had laid out for herself.

Hinata looked at the rapidly descending sun and decided to set up camp as soon as possible, and then afterwards, when she finished her dinner, she set up a mildly powerful genjutsu to prevent any from sneaking up on her—if they looked carefully, they'd see nothing, and if they got to close, they'd be stuck in an endless limbo where their eyes were telling them that they were walking forward when they were instead walking in the opposite direction and this persistence in vision would continue for approximately fifteen minutes until their eyes finally revealed the truth. It was a very simple genjutsu that she learned from Yuuhi Kurenai, her Jounin sensei from when her three-man genin cell was first formed.

_Kurenai-sensei…_Hinata thought of the young, crimson eyed woman with sadness, when she remembered that she had lost the one she loved. Hinata lay back on her sleeping bag, closed her eyes, and clasped her hands together. _May your soul find piece, Asuma-sensei, _was her last thought before she rolled over and finally fell into a solemn slumber.

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**Next! Chapter 1: Awakenings! This prologue is short but from here on out, the chapters will be longer. Hope you enjoy them!**


	2. Chapter 1: Awakenings

**My Eyes**

By Shiranui the Brave

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Chapter 1: Awakenings **

_The program is simple enough,_ thought Hyuuga Hinata, as she brushed her long indigo-colored hair towards her ear. She was sitting by the shore of a river that formed a sizeable creek after the formation of a waterfall from a cliff that overlooked its path. The river had passed all the way through Konoha, and hence she could easily retrace her steps. Given that she had been trekking for almost three days now, she decided that she was a good distance from her home, and thought that this quiet and quaint little creek would make the perfect area for her training for the next few months or so.

_The most important task ahead for the first year is to first increase my chakra reserves. _Hinata looked at the waterfall as the vast amount of water it consisted of descended from a height of about 25 feet. _Tree climbing and water walking should do the trick, and if I could combine the two together, even better though Kurenai-sensei herself wasn't too good at it. _Hinata unzipped her dark blue and off-white coloured hooded jacket, revealing a tight fitting dark black chain shirt. She took of her headband bearing the Konoha symbol on its polished metal as well and tied it around her forehead, and then proceeded to braid her long silky hair so that it would cause as little interference as possible.

"Let's see," said Hinata, taking out a pen and paper. "I'll get up by 6 every morning and practice Jyuuken katas whilst standing on the water for about two hours. Then I'll take an hour's rest and proceed to practice with Tsumugari for about…hmmm….Three hours should be good enough. Then I'll take another break for about an hour…" Hinata snuck a peek at the numerous utilities in her oversized travel pack. There was an entire carton on soldier pills, for those times when she would run out of charka in the middle of her training and about three dozen scrolls, detailing the various techniques of every element possible. She manually checked them before she left: 5 wind scrolls, 3 fire scrolls, 4 water scrolls, 5 earth scrolls, 2 lighting scrolls (her father still hadn't forgiven the Hidden Village of Cloud for trying to kidnap her when she was young and completely outlawed the presence of any Raiton techniques or scrolls in the Hyuuga household, which led her to borrow them from Tsunade's personal library), 3 medical scrolls, 1 darkness scroll, 2 forbidden scrolls, 7 Hyuuga technique scrolls, and about 5 sword technique scrolls. A few sets of clothes, 30 shuriken, 10 kunai, about two weeks worth of eating provisions, a few books on strategy, planning, how to play shogi, the Hyuuga family history, the numerous jutsu that existed in the world (that was about 900 pages long), the various weaponry that shinobi utilized, and some utensils, personal hygiene tools, and cleaning detergent rounded out the roster.

"Right. Now…from 1 PM till 5 PM I'll spend time studying and learning about the different techniques that I need to acquire. And from 5 till 11, I'll spend time training my physical strength. This looks to be a pretty airtight schedule. Ah, before I forget…"

Hinata took out a blindfold from her pocket, which contained a seal in its center. Hinata pricked her finger and wiped some of her blood on the seal, and when it glowed blue, she smiled and tied it around her eyes. The blindfold was specially invented by her cousin Neji as a means for Hyuuga members to train their other senses rather than relying only on their Byakugan in a battle, stating that '_preserving you own chakra is just as important as cutting off the enemy's_'. The cloth was made of a special fabric that absorbed chakra when wrapped around a specific part of the body, and combined with a slightly modified Hyuuga family seal, the blindfold would effectively absorb any chakra that would be used to activate the Byakugan, hence rendering it useless for as long as the cloth was secured.

Hinata tried to activate the Byakugan in the darkness but felt her chakra exiting her body without actually having the desired bloodline's effect. Satisfied, Hinata raised the cloth and proceeded to walk on to the surface of the water.

This exercise, along with the sword training, was not without any special terms. Taking a page out of Lee and Gai-Sensei's book, she made the following punishments list—if she fell into the water from chakra depletion, she was to take a soldier pill and then proceed to do 30 laps around the entire forest area. If she couldn't finish any of the sword-swinging exercises, she would have to do 200 pushups, first with both arms and then 100 pushups for each arm individually, 200 sit-ups, 200 palm thrusts on a tree, 200 kicks, 200 forearm shots, 200 kneeshots…the list went on and she would only be allowed to stop only if the time allotted for her Tsumugari was up. With all this in mind, Hinata began her training.

_Good grief, _Hinata thought, as she lay sprawled on the ground, panting for air and aching from exhaustion. It had already been two weeks since she started her training, and remaining steadfast in her desire to not become dependent on the soldier pills, she wanted to rely on her own body's chakra renewal capacities. She had fallen into the water quite a few times since she began, and then there were the times when she simply plunged the Tsumugari into the ground and leaned on it for support from the exhaustion. Hinata had passed out about three times since the 14 days had gone by.

_I'm glad I added yoga and meditation to my training. I must thank Tsunade-sama for that book…This…This is so hard…And so tiring…But I won't give up…_ Since she didn't have amazing regeneration abilities, any bruises, cuts, muscle pains and overall tiredness that weren't cured from a good night's sleep would carry over to the next day. Not that they were as painful but it was compounded by the additional physical suffering she had to undergo. Thankfully, her hardwork was paying off. Her chakra control was already more refined than before—she now knew how to apply chakra to her ears, her nose (which, to her mortifying shock, was almost a punishment in itself, for unlike Kiba, she took in a hundred smells at once, causing her to cough and her eyes to water profusely; she still had a long way to go before she could get her nose to magnify a single smell), and even her skin. However, even without chakra, her other senses improved, as she could now sense various air-currents and detect enough sounds, both miniscule and large-scale, to navigate the forest, train, cook and even wash her clothes perfectly. She wasn't sure just how much her speed had improved, but she found that utilizing the Tsumugari was becoming easier as her sword strikes became more rapid and full power.

For food and clothes, she simply had to travel in the direction of Konoha and she would reach a small town where she could purchase basic goods (no ninja utilities, however). It was also where she sent various postcards to her family informing them about her health (she made sure to omit the 'I-think-Neji-will-kill-whoever-he-thinks-is-responsible-for-my-various-pains-and-sufferings-if-he-sees-me' part, though). Money was not much of a problem, since she could just withdraw as much as she needed from her personal savings when ever she visited the local accountant.

Hinata shifted her gaze to the Tsumugari and smiled widely, almost laughing as she panted. "This is pretty nice, though, isn't Tsumi? Living on my own, watching the stars without a care in the world, getting stronger and stronger…"She thought back to her training with her old team-mates, Shino and Kiba, about a year and a half ago as they partook of their second Chuunin exams.

"_Hinata, there's no need to be strain yourself! Shino and I will protect you in the forest, just like we did before!"_

_Hinata stopped slapping the wooden post with her bare hands and looked over at her team-mate. "K-Kiba-kun…That's n-not the reason for my e-efforts…" She stammered mildly, more from her natural habit then from exhaustion and pain. "E-Eto…I just…just want to be s-s-stronger…Like Neji-nii-san and Naruto-kun…"_

"_That is admirable." The sentence came from Shino, who was sitting on a tree-stump, as he emotionlessly looked at her. "Though this is a team effort, we appreciate your drive to increase the effectiveness of your role."_

"_Hinata, don't worry," said Kiba, his voice turning more serious, "I won't let anything happen to you this time. Even if I break my legs, I'll stay by you to keep you from getting injured. Eh, Akamaru!" The white dog, who had grown to almost three times his original size since his last Chuunin exam, barked joyously. "Well, I'll catch up with you later, Hinata! Akamaru and I have gotta perfect our newest jutsu! Ja ne!"_

_Hinata smiled meekly and looked upon her two comrades. She was the luckiest girl in the world to have two powerful, understanding friends by her side. They would protect her no matter what. They would help her become a Chuunin like she always wanted, and fetch the acknowledgement she always desired. She would become stronger!_

_The thought suddenly froze in her head. Her smile disappeared. How? She asked herself this question again and again, and then proceeded to slam the post with renewed vigor. She felt her palms becoming stiff and ache. She stopped neither the palm thrusts nor her self-questioning._

_A few hours later, it was night. She was all alone. Panting with exhaustion, Hinata looked upon her palms, which were now mixture of blood, black bruises, and internal crimson markings. They shook as she held them up to her eyes. She looked at the stars and asked herself once more: How?_

_How would she become stronger if all she did was rely on others?_

_She continued to look at her palms for a little longer and after a while, started to sob and she fell to her knees as the hot tears flowed down her cheeks. She hugged her knees to her chest as tightly as possible as she started to shake from her weeping. "It hurts…" she said weakly, with frustration apparent in her meek, maliceless voice. "It hurts so much…"_

The next day, Hinata woke up and looked around inside her tent for a few scrolls. She decided to take a break from her usual routine at least once every two weeks or so she could practice the techniques she studied, as well go into town to restock her essentials. After brushing her teeth, eating her breakfast and taking a bath in the creek (with no fear of having to punish herself, it was unusually refreshing to her spirit), she came back to her tent and grabbed a couple of scrolls.

_Katon: Great Fireball no Jutsu, Suiton: Water Wall no Jutsu, Doton: Inner Decapitation no Jutsu, Medical Jutsu: Healing no Jutsu…and finally…_ Hinata dropped all the scrolls in front of her and looked at the remaining scroll in her hands. A mix of fear, wonder and curiosity washed over her eyes upon looking at this ancient jutsu, as if not sure if she could do it or not, and yet, she smirked at the challenge.

"Eight Trigrams Ancient Technique," she said humbly. "Divine Valkyrie."

She made her way on to the water's surface and made the required handseals as quickly as possible. Over the past few weeks, she didn't use any Ninjutsu but this didn't mean she couldn't practice the hand seals. In fact whenever she was resting, her hands would unconsciously go through the various seals for each of the jutsus, again and again (and sometimes in her sleep as well, unbeknownst to her).

"Suiton: Water Wall!" The water slowly rose up from the creek and began to encase her. _I must imagine my chakra forming in tides, and must visualize the currents and waves in them as they form a solid rectangular cage around my body. _The water then surrounded her on all sides and remained steady until Hinata released the jutsu. She tried the technique once more, eager to improve the speed of its formation. After two more times, she had managed a perfect water wall, though the timing and formation speed were still a bit lacking.

Hinata leaped off the water and landed on the soft grass near her camp area. Taking out the scroll of the Doton: Earth Decapitation no Jutsu, she looked over its contents again. _Imagine myself sinking into the ground. Feel the chakra exerting its own pull, from beneath the soil, and push, from the force of gravity. Envelop my body in this chakra and…_

Hinata had managed to perform the technique after performing the customary hand-seals. Only she was shocked when she resurfaced. _Did I just…_She looked over at the hole which marked her entry into the earth's depths. It was a perfect spiral shape, as if a drill had just gone through it. The hole from which she popped out of was the same. Hinata looked at the spiral pattern intently. _I didn't notice it, but I was spinning for sure…Is this an after-effect of learning the Kaiten? _An idea suddenly came to Hinata's head. She assumed her Kaiten stance and emitted the requisite chakra while keeping her mind focused on the Doton jutsu.

"Hakkeshou! Kaiten!"

Hinata spun in a 360-degree motion as the angular momentum of the chakra pushed away a large amount of leaves, soil and grass, as she closed her eyes. However, when she opened her eyes again, she looked on in mirthful disbelief. She was watching the Kaiten from a third-person perspective, and in two to three seconds, it dissipated. _Using the spiral movement of the Kaiten in tandem with the Doton technique even gives me a speed boost! _Hinata climbed out of the hole and smiled confidently. If only she could show this combination of techniques to a certain Branch House member. He would never see it coming. She could use the Byakugan to keep track of her vision while performing the two tandem spins. _I wonder if I could use other techniques together like that…_Hinata giggled lightly and knocked herself on the top of her head softly. _Of course I can. That's what being a shinobi's all about._

After a half hour of rest, Hinata took out the next scroll. She closed it immediately and then tried to perform the technique. And about five seconds later…

_HOT!! HOT!! It's like having a pot of chillis shoved down my throat!!_ Hinata coughed out a bit of smoke as her eyes turned red with tears. _Guess I'm not a fire-type…I'll need an instructor for that technique…_So was the tale of the first technique that the young Hyuuga heiress performed unsuccessfully.

The medical jutsu wasn't difficult, and it required no handseals but its main drawback was that its user needed precise chakra control. Hinata made a small cut on her right forearm and as she concentrated on her left hand to make a small greenish glowing chakra, she brought it close to the cut. To say she was nervous was an understatement—Hinata received no training from any medic nin, much less from the great Tsunade-sama so she knew that the technique would not work on her first try. She immediately pushed those negative thoughts away and slowly slipped into a zen-like state where she focused on nothing but the chakra now flowing through her left hand and how it would slowly close her wounds, stimulate platelets to stop the bleeding and send the required stimulus to her nerves to halt the already existing feeling of pain. Hinata closed her eyes and concentrated fervently.

A few minutes passed. Hinata immediately snapped out of it and looked at her forearm. She sighed upon seeing the blood still trickling in a small thread from her wound and proceeded to bandage it after applying some antiseptic. _This is the one I wanted the most to work, _she thought as she lay back on the grass. _Why? I focused so hard…_She brought her wounded forearm on to the ground with a slight amount of force, as if absent-mindedly reprimanding herself. Several thoughts went through her mind as she continued to bring her forearm up and down. _Maybe I should give up medical jutsus until I can gain better charka control…I'm pretty good in Doton and Suiton, so I shouldn't feel so down…I guess. _Suddenly, she looked at her bandaged forearm more carefully. _Wait…if I was pounding it on the ground shouldn't I feel a slight bit of pain? And…is that dust on my bandages?_

Hinata immediately sat up and looked to her right. Her eyes turned wide with shock.

All the grass was gone. All the leaves were gone. Seven spiral-shaped holes, that looked to be about six feet deep, were left in their place.

Hinata continued to look for a few minutes, when a quiet "Nani?" finally escaped her lips. Hinata looked at her forearm and tried to remember what she was trying to focus on when she was molding that green mass of chakra. She once again focused it into her left hand but instead placed it on her right leg. Still no visible effect, though the chakra was absorbed into the appendage. Hinata looked at a tree, activated her Byakugan and then proceeded to perform an overhead kick. After the kick came down, she looked upon the tree. It was cleaved in half, but she was more surprised by her leg. _Before it came into contact with the tree and just as it grazed its surface…In that time period…It became an axe…My leg became a green glowing axe, or at least it was covered by such…_

Hinata didn't know what she did wrong while performing the medical ninjutsu. All she knew at that instant was that she couldn't care less.

**Hinata's gaining some wicked powers, no? Trust me, it only gets wilder. Next! Chapter 2: Raven!**

**Author's Note: Don't worry about the explanations behind some of the techniques. It's not that I don't want to give them or I don't know myself. It's just that I want to save them for those moments when Hinata actually has someone to use them on, so please be patient for a while. I'd really appreciate it!**


	3. Chapter 2: Raven

**My Eyes**

By Shiranui the Brave

**Author's Notes: **Wow! I seriously did not expect so many people to check out my story! 387 hits and counting! Thanks everyone for giving me your time and attention! I hope you're enjoying the story and what's to come. If anyone would like to share their various criticisms, ideas, thoughts or complaints with me, then feel free to do so. I'm always happy to receive and provide feedback!

**then nika said: **Yep, she is! And don't worry. I'll explain in full detail how she did what she did.

**brokenangel89: **Thanks for the compliment. I'd actually like to check out your stories now. Also, I made this story to fill in the vacuum that Naruto Legends had created, but it's good to know that you're enjoying it.

**InEspertaNinja: **Regular updates will continue till Saturday. For now, enjoy this new chapter and thanks for reading my fic!

**Misoporkramen: **While taking place after one of the arcs of the second part of the Naruto manga, the story will be branching off in its own directions from here on out. Don't worry though; it's still set in the same universe as the manga, and will even explain some events that haven't (as of yet) been discussed thus far. As for updates, well, they're comin!

Also thanks to **Kazenoko** who posted the first review of 'My Eyes'. Well, enough with my babbling. On to the next chapter!

**Disclaimer: I don't, and probably never will, own Naruto.**

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****Chapter 2: Raven**

It's been a little over two months since Hinata started her new training program.

Her goal: To become the strongest Hyuuga ever, and to possibly reach the level of a Sannin or Kage. She also made it a point to not be totally reliant on her Byakugan in every given situation, and so had begun training her other senses by binding her Bloodline Limit using a special blindfold made by her cousin, Neji. She was still at the same creek and it was more or less the same as before, aside from the areas where numerous flora used to lay, which were now replaced by nothing more than dust, a couple of holes and the odd crater or two.

Hinata had already implemented a change in her schedule. After practicing many of the jutsus in the scrolls, she had about two-fourths down to pat (except the Katon jutsu; to her embarrassment, in the past two months, despite giving the same amount of time to learning the Katon, she could only make a miniscule flame come out of her mouth, good enough for lighting a fire, yet absolutely, and obviously, useless in combat). Her Suiton jutsus and Doton jutsus were coming along quite nicely—she was close to mastering the Water Wall, Earth Wall, Earth Spikes and Water Prison jutsus while her Water Clone, Inner Decapitation, Earth Wall and Underground Projection Fish techniques were flawless and could be performed in an instant. She was now practicing doing these jutsu with one-handed seals, and even trying to perform one technique with one hand and another technique with the other hand, though she found it almost impossible since she had to visualize, mold, distribute and release two different chakra compositions at the same time.

She learned Great Breakthrough no Jutsu, a very useful Fuiton technique that blasted everything within a circular radius away with a strong current of wind, and was even thinking of replacing her Kaiten with this move, since it required less chakra and less pinpoint concentration for its release, until she realized that the defense was open from the top. Nevertheless, it was great for when she was swamped by enemies. The other Fuiton jutsus were incredibly difficult but practice makes perfect and despite still not being able to perform them properly, she continued practicing the seals and reading up on them in her encyclopedia of jutsus. The Darkness, Forbidden, Raiton and remaining two medical scrolls were still untouched. The Hyuuga scrolls, except for one with details on how to create a larger version of the Kaiten and the Divine Valkyrie scroll were relatively read but Hinata didn't want to practice them just yet.

Her other skills were also showing admirable progress. She had become adept at practicing her jutsus and Jyuuken blind and her sense of smell was becoming more concentrated to the point where she could simply sniff the air and precisely predict the distance of rain clouds within a 1 kilometer radius. Tsumugari was now as light as a feather for her and she could easily perform 500 sword strikes without breaking a sweat. The water-walking training was no longer useful as it now took only a fraction of her total chakra to keep herself on the river's surface. Even performing Jyuuken with chakra on top of the water lasted for about an hour until she finally tired…and she _still_ remained on the water's surface. Her physical training also became much less strenuous for some reason and she could only allude it to the numerous punishments she had to undergo for fouling up in her other exercises, which at times, caused her bodily exercises to practically double. She could now easily train for two hours straight, no matter how many pushups, situps, palm thrusts, forearm shots, kicks and laps she went through or how fatigued she was from the day before.

It was time to begin waterfall-climbing training. Time to start practicing the remainder of her family techniques. Time to unravel those remaining scrolls and read up on them. Time to somehow increase her physical exercises and push her body to new limits. Time to go to new levels for the sake of attaining her goal.

However, right now, it was time for something else.

Hinata walked through the small streets of Kaolin, with a few bags in her hands. Her long white skirt fluttered in the wind, her braided indigo hair remaining firmly over her right shoulder, where it reached down to her stomach. The pure white dress was sleeveless and showed off her pale white shoulders and neckline. She was humming a soft tune as she walked by the respective commodity shops, leaving a mesmerizing fragrance in her wake. Many teenagers and aged men stopped dead in their tracks as she passed by, her steps innocent and carefree. Many little children looked upon her with wonder and began whispering the words 'angel' and 'princess' excitedly.

For Hyuuga Hinata, it was probably the first time she viewed herself as a woman.

_Maybe not beautiful like Tsunade-sama but I still feel oddly…feminine… _Her thoughts were interrupted when a young girl walked up to her, with a single white lily in her hand.

"Angel-Onee-chan, this is for you," said the young girl, unable to hold back her effervescent smile.

Hinata smiled kindly and taking the flower in her hand, she kissed the child on her forehead. "Thank you so much..."

The little girl laughed happily and ran to her friends, screaming 'Angel-Onee-chan kissed me!' Hinata proceeded to walk into the local accountant's store to withdraw a few thousand ryo. The whole exercise of shopping for her supplies and being self-dependent was exciting the first time as she finally got to experience life as an adult and the thought still brought a smile to her lips from time to time. By the time the sun had set, she reached her campsite. Hinata went bathing in the creek, and changed back into her usual dark-blue and off-white colored jacket. As she looked at the dark blue pants before her, she suddenly crossed her arms over her shoulders. Her abdomen felt lean and toned as her biceps tightened around her hard shoulders. She stood there, lost in blissful thought and then headed back to her tent, wearing only her jacket and undergarments. Since no one had visited her or known where she was, she thought it would be nice to be unhindered by some clothing at least once during her daily activities. She lay back on the grass and watched as the orange clouds slowly melted into the dark velvety sky with its numerous stars and constellations twinkling unto infinity.

_Feminine…Naruto-kun…_

Her thoughts of the blond-haired boy had been few and far between ever since she left. As the training always left her drained, she was guaranteed a sound and dreamless sleep. It seemed she was losing her feelings of love towards him…And yet, it didn't feel the least bit painful. However, it was now replaced by a different feeling altogether.

_I want to love and be loved equally, _thought Hinata. _I want to give my body and soul to some one who'll love me for who I am. But then, I must not lose sight of my goal…_

Hinata yawned loudly.

_Sight…Musn't lose it…My eyes…Must see…Must become…_

She felt herself getting drowsier each second.

_Stronger…_

Hinata laid her head to one side and fell asleep.

"_K-Kiba-kun…"_

"_Don't worry…Hinata…It'll…be okay…N-Ne, Akamaru?"_

_The white dog whined loudly as he looked from Hinata to Kiba and back to Hinata again. He then went into a crouching position and put his head down, all the while keeping his sad eyes on the young Hyuuga's pearl orbs._

"_Okay," said Genma, the Chuunin examiner as he brought his hand up. "Final match: Hyuuga Hinata versus Inuzuka Kiba!"_

_The whole stadium burst forth with applause. This was the main event! This was the moment they had all been waiting for! Though initial doubts were raised over what kind of competition the two Genin could possibly display, now, the scenario was much more different. They had plowed through their opponents using a mix of taijutsu, skillful ninjustu and innate planning ability, especially Hinata. An unexpected finale to what had been a mind-blowing tourney; things couldn't be more exciting!_

"_Begin!" Genma brought his hand down and the audience once more roared with cheers._

_Hinata simply stood there, unsure of what to do as Kiba hung his head low, obscuring his features. She had talked about this with Kurenai-sensei. If they were to face each other, they would fight with full devotion and accept the clear winner. Ironically, the two made the exact same promise to themselves without even knowing that the other person had done the same. Despite this, they were still clueless about what to do next._

"_Hinata…I…I want to become a Chuunin…I want to bring honour to my family…But…"_

_The dog-nin suddenly brought his face up. He was smiling weakly and his eyes reflected sadness._

"_I can't bring myself to hurt you. Not in a million years. I can't stand to see you suffer, especially if it's by my own hands…" Akamaru looked towards his owner and gave a few low yelps. "Yeah, I know, boy. He says he won't take part in this fight either, and nothing I do will convince him otherwise…Heh, as if I'd force him to go through this when I myself can't…"_

_Hinata looked at her friend, her face covered partly by pity and partly by the sublime blushing that resulted from his words. She didn't think he'd use such passionate words that could touch her heart so deeply. "Kiba-kun…" Tears began to form in her eyes._

"_Examiner," said Kiba, as he lifted his left hand signaling that he wanted to surrender. "I—"_

Hinata woke with a start. _Only a dream,_ she thought. _No, a memory…yes, it's all coming back to me…_

She tried to open her eyes to drown out the darkness she was in, but to no avail, since her eyes _were _open. Yet, she could still see nothing.

Bringing her hands close, she felt the odd sensation of cloth. It was the blindfold that she had been wearing since day one of her training. It was stained with her blood, as the smell told her. She traced the cloth all the way to where it was tied behind her head, but recoiled in horror as she realized that there was no knot. She felt another stain of blood in its place instead, but this one was more detailed, almost like it was in the shape of a seal.

"It's no use," a male voice suddenly said to her. She felt the ice in it and shuddered as a result. "Only I can remove that blindfold now…"

"W-Who are you?! What do you want with me?!" Hinata then realized her current state. She tugged her jacket down as far as it would go. "You-You…Don't come near me!! I'll kill you!"

A light snicker, almost inaudible, was heard. "Is that so? Well then, give it a try."

She heard a slight clatter of metal at her feet and realized that whoever it was standing before her, he had just handed her a weapon. She slowly bent down, reaching very carefully until she grasped the handle. _Thank God…Tsumi…I'm so happy it's you…_ Hinata then stood up straight, though her head was bowed down slightly, as she concentrated all her chakra into her nose and ears. _A musky scent, very subtle. Abnormally low breathing and heart rate. Is he even human?_

The man launched two shuriken at Hinata, and as she heard their faint whistling sound, she moved rapidly to her left and successfully dodged them. Placing her left foot in front of her, as he brought her open left palm in front of her, she assumed the Jyuuken stance, only she held the Tsumugari in her right hand. She quickly dashed at her opponent and began to swing at his head, his arms, his legs, and his then his chest. The man dodged each one of her swipes successfully, but in her mind, as she continued the same order of strikes, she memorized his pattern through the sound of his steps and the force his body was exerting on the surrounding air. _Duck, move left, move right, pull head back, pull left leg back, jump, duck, move left…Now!_

She swung at his left arm and as he moved right, Hinata loosened her grip on the sword, and it fell directly into her left hand, only she was now holding it like a dagger. With all the force her body could muster, she made to stab him in the chest.

The sound of metal hitting metal echoed throughout the forest.

_He…he has a sword, too?_

"Not bad," the man said, struggling to push away Hinata's sword thrust. "Reading my movements, concealing your true speed, deft sword handling…not bad at all…"

_I couldn't hear it…I could only feel the wind from unsheathing his sword against my skin two seconds after our weapons collided…He's so fast…_

"I'm done playing. You can drop your weapon now."

"Funny…I don't recall saying _I_ was…"

The man back-flipped into the air as Hinata pushed him with all her strength. He landed and yelling the words, "Katon! Great Fireball no Jutsu!" he brought his index and middle fingers to his lips and a large flame erupted from his mouth. Hinata assumed her stance, generated the requisite amount of chakra and spun 360-degrees, as her Kaiten successfully blocked the fire jutsu. She made a few handseals for the Doton: Earth Spikes no Jutsu, but just when she was about to finish, she felt the sting of cold metal at her throat.

"You're a Hyuuga, but I didn't need to see that move to be able to tell you that…"

Hinata didn't move an inch, making sure to not even breath heavy. "Who are you? W-What do you want with me?"

"I've been watching you for a while now. At first, I saw you pass out from exhaustion and dismissed you as some mere nobody, but the next day, you were up and at it again, even more energetic then before. I was impressed to say the least." He tightened his grip on the sword and brought the blade two centimeters closer to Hinata's neck. "What is your ambition? What are you trying to prove?"

"…..To become the strongest heir that my clan—no, that the entire ninja world has ever seen. I'm on a quest to gain power…"

Hinata thought she just heard the man flinch but decided to ignore it. "My name is Hyuuga Hinata, daughter of Hyuuga Hiashi and the destined heiress of the Hyuuga clan."

The man smirked and sheathed his sword quickly. He went to a nearby tree and sat down with his back against it. "Raven…Just call me Raven."

"Raven…san…It's nice to meet you. Thank you for sparing my life." Hinata simply stood in her place without turning around. Though contemplating on unleashing the Doton jutsu that she had remained so calm to maintain, she decided against it. _It wouldn't work on a man of his speed…and then he'll kill me without any hesitation._

"Now who said I spared you life for free?"

Hinata blushed madly, as she still kept her face hidden from his view. She suddenly felt like his eyes were moving from her head to below her jacket, but she remained calm. "I-I don't understand…"

Raven stood up and began to walk towards her, as she practically felt her pale face being drenched in red. He stopped just behind her. "From now on, you and I will be training together. You will be my sparring partner over the next…two years, I believe? In return, I will help you learn the various techniques contained within those scrolls of yours, as well teaching you a few of my own. I think you'll get along better if some one who's experienced in Katon shows you how it's done. You will further develop your chakra control and physical strength, not to mention be given a chance to practice your shogi skills and talk tactics with me every now and then. I'll look over your remaining technique scrolls tonight."

_Just how long has he been spying on me? _Raven knew Hinata's routine out and out, and she wouldn't be surprised if he knew her various jutsu and strategies as well, but training with her for the remainder of her regime? It just seemed to far-fetched and awkward. Somehow, someway…she had to get rid of him or—

A soft cloak with a fur collar was suddenly draped onto her shoulders as it extended all the way down to her shins, covering her vital parts in the process.

"And please get some pants on, will you? It's getting cold." She heard Raven pick up several scrolls as he made his way into the forest in front of him. "Just call me if you need anything." And with that, he disappeared.

Once again, Hinata just stood there blankly, not knowing what to do next. Finally, overcome with real exhaustion, she set Raven's cloak to one side, pulled her pajamas on and went to sleep, half-wondering if she was going to be training blindly with her new partner all the time, and half-musing that she could've have beaten him if she hadn't held back. _As for his behavior,_ _well…he seems be an honorable man…he must be married, and about twenty or thirty years elder to me…_And with that comforting thought in her head, she drifted off to sleep.

**

* * *

****Author's Notes: **I personally feel that the fight in this story between Raven and Hinata was short and not exciting enough. However, given that Hinata is yet to realize her full strength, I'd just like to say that the best is yet to come, so hang tight! As for Hinata's monstrous ability in the previous chapter, well, all of the details surrounding it will be revealed in the next chapter! 

**Next! Chapter 3: Stronger! **


	4. Chapter 3: Stronger

**My Eyes**

By Shiranui the Brave

**Author's Notes:** Thanks you all for your reviews! This chapter is by far the longest and it gave me a lot of trouble. I was eventually thinking to split it into two chapters, but the transition from one chapter to the next just didn't sit well with me as it disrupted the overall tone of the plot, so it remained one. This one's got quite a bit of action, so I hope I've made good on my promise! Also, the secret behind Hinata's freakish power (first seen in 'Awakenings') is revealed! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer** You know the drill.

**

* * *

****Chapter 3: Stronger**

"Okay, so…I'd like you to show me all the Ninjutsu, you've learned so far…"

Hinata, dressed in a white t-shirt and her usual blue pants, nodded in understanding. Her eyes were still covered and her Byakugan sealed, but she was prepared for situations where she would have to perform handseals and jutsu blind, so she didn't much mind. On the contrary, a different thought, albeit one that struck a chord in her heart was now circulating through her mind.

_This is my chance, _thought Hinata, as she clenched and unclenched her fists. _I can finally show my progress to some one strong. Naruto-kun, Oto-sama, Neji-nii-san…Here I go!_

Hinata clapped both her hands together and within a few moments, chakra began to swirl around her, eventually bathing her in its warm blue aura. Sensing that this would make a good starting point, she even prayed that some would go well this time. The handseals were rapidly formed, and Hinata began her display.

Earth Spikes, Earth Wall, Inner Decapitation, Earth Prison, Underground Projection Fish…After finishing with the Doton jutsus, Hinata emerged from the ground and jumped backwards, landing on top of the creek, just beneath the waterfall. She began to perform the Water Wall and Water Clone jutsus, surprising both Raven and herself upon the realization that she was able to manipulate moving water with her chakra as well, something even most non-water type Jonin had a problem with. _Interesting, _said Raven to himself. _If she increases her chakra reserves and capacity control…_A smirk than appeared on Raven's mouth…

_She can throw an enemy's attack right back at them._

Hinata stepped out from beneath the waterfall and made some more handseals. Upon their activation, she kicked up a few submerged pebbles and than formed a neat sphere of water, effectively trapping all the stones inside the Water Prison no Jutsu. As she leaped high into the air, after forming another set of handseals on the ground, she outstretched both her arms forcefully and a strong gale of wind blasted through the forest as the resonating rustles of leaves were heard.

"One more!" Hinata dropped to the ground, and bit both of her thumbs. The blood dripped vividly, and she dropped to one knee to make a complete circle of blood around her. As the circle completed, Hinata stood up and rapidly began to form a humongous amount of handseals. Raven, who was counting their number, was curious as to what she was trying to attempt.

Upon completing the 112th handseal, Hinata stood still for a few seconds, concentrating her very soul into her palms. She then slowly raised her head up, with her hands following immediately after. Her open palms looked towards to the sky, and Hinata spoke the final words to activate the jutsu. "Eight Trigrams Ancient Technique: Divine Valkyrie no Jutsu!!" Once again blue chakra began to swirl around her, only this time, more violently. It enveloped her body as her hands continued to face the clouds. Brief flashes of white light, or more accurately, reflections of the present sunlight, appeared in various spots on Hinata's body. _What in the world is this jutsu? _Raven had his hand in front of his face, trying to desperately peer at Hinata's current condition through the blinding rays. He suddenly felt a bit easier since the white light gradually faded, but the chakra hadn't dissipated just yet. It still surrounded her, and when Raven looked more carefully, he clenched his teeth in anger.

Hinata's body began to contort wildly. Tears were falling down the cheeks of her expressionless face, as she began to foam from the mouth. Raven rushed at her, increasing his chakra to the maximum, and appearing before her, he held onto her shoulder whilst making a single seal. "Kai!" He then pressed the first two fingers of his free hand on Hinata's forehead. Seeing that it had no effect, Raven placed his entire hand on her head, and as the perspiration began to build on his head, he screamed the words "Wound Gate! Kai!"

The chakra vanished. Hinata still stood, expressionless, as Raven held her in place by her shoulder lest she should fall. Her lips shuddered with microscopic movement.

"Gomen…ne…" Hinata spoke these words and coughed onto Raven's shirt. Her head then tilted to one side, indicating that she had fainted. The man was totally perplexed. _Had I made the right choice? If not, then the chances of her waking up…Damn it!_ His frustration was steadfast. _She spoke those two words so sadly…As if she wanted to die…As if her soul was in hell…_Raven then looked at his shirt. It was stained red with Hinata's blood. He let out a deep sigh, and proceeded to lift her up. Making his way back to her tent, with thoughts of warming her up and treating her injuries on his mind, Raven held Hinata close to his chest, and marveled at how some one so small could take so much and still have the strength to apologize. _Looks like you and I are going to have an interesting two years, Hinata-san._

* * *

"_Stop!" Hinata yelled the words as loud as she could._

_Kiba stopped and looked in her direction. Genma, almost equally surprised by her outburst, also looked at the shy girl's head, which was bent low. The entire stadium, at one minute booing over the boy and dog wanting to give up, fell silent. All eyes were now on the Hyuuga heiress._

_Hinata raised her head. Tears were in her eyes, but she refused to let them leave. Her brow was furrowed tightly, as she looked upon Kiba, the veins on either side of her head indicating that she had her Bloodline Limit fully uncaged and ready to be unleashed. Hyuuga Hiashi, who was once again in the stands with his youngest daughter and Hinata's little sister Hanabi, along with Neji, was attentive to what he was now experiencing. "Is this killing intent? How can it be this much?"_

"_No," said Neji, upon looking at his cousin's eyes. He had known those eyes all too well. "It's fighting spirit. She's preparing to do battle."_

"_Kiba-kun," said Hinata, with her voice composed and forceful. "Do not give up this match. Please don't."_

"_But Hinata! I…We…"_

"_Kiba-kun…Akamaru…I know you don't want to hurt me. I know you, of all people, who's been with me since I graduated from the academy, can understand my pain. You're one of the best friends I've ever had…But if you leave now…If you don't go through with this…Then how…" Hinata sobbed and shouted angrily, "How am I going to become stronger?"_

"_Hinata…"_

"_How will I reach the rank of Chuunin with a clear mind? How will I feel if you give up and everyone talks about how lucky I was to be matched against you? For me…Such a pain…A pain of never being able to believe in myself…Is worse than any pain that you could inflict on me!"_

_Kiba stood there quietly even though each word was hitting him harder than the last._

"_Fight me, Kiba-kun." She was now smiling, looking more like the Hinata that everyone knew and loved. "Please?"_

_Akamaru suddenly got up and arched his back. His whining had stopped and he barked at Kiba. The dog ninja nodded and then raised his fist in the air. "Ossu! Akamaru, we're going to go all out! When Hinata makes that face…Heh, I just can't say no." Kiba swallowed a soldier pill and handed the same to his companion, whose fur turned red with aggression, yet the duo stood their ground, not once smiling or growling. Hinata gave a sigh of thanks and wiping the tears from her eyes, assumed the Jyuuken stance. Genma smiled but wasn't willing to add to the emotional scene by saying the word "Begin" again. The match was already underway; now, the fight itself would begin._

"_Four Legs Technique!" Kiba's nails soon turned into long claws and his incisors grew by about two more inches to resemble a dog's fangs. He then crawled down until he was on all fours, taking a stance similar to that of an animal waiting to strike. Akamaru leaped onto his back; though bigger than before, Kiba showed no signs of strain, and yelled the words, "Man Beast Clone no Jutsu!" Hinata kept her Byakugan active the whole time, shifting the footing of her Jyuuken stance as she moved around Kiba and Akamaru, who had now morphed into a perfect clone of his master. Kiba and Akamaru then ran towards her, occasionally changing sides as they criss-crossed each other's paths. Before reaching Hinata though, the two leaped off in complete different directions and as Hinata looked around her, she saw the two were swiftly jumping from one spot to another in order to confuse her. Hinata focused on her eyes even harder and gradually things began to slow down. She almost read their movements until—_

"_Double Penetrating Fang!" The two ninja began to spin around, aiming for Hinata with their drill-like motions. Hinata simply stood her ground, and seconds before they struck her, she deflected both of their attacks with her bare palms. Kiba and Akamaru stared in shock at Hinata, who made to close down their tenketsus with her palm thrust, while they were still in mid-air. However, Kiba pushed his hand into the ground and found the momentum to dodge. Hinata spun around to attack his clone but Akamaru followed his master's lead and swiftly fled before she could make suitable contact. He was now next to Kiba, hanging on the walls of the stadium. They both looked down on Hinata who moved closer to the trees around the arena, and felt the need to re-evaluate the situation._

"_Damn, I forgot that everything slows down in the Byagukan. Looks like we'll have to take a different approach."_

_Kiba took out several smoke bombs and threw them at specific points around Hinata. The smoke covered her as she knew what was coming. "You forget Kiba," she said as she looked at the haze around her. "The Byakugan can see through smoke. You won't be able to—"_

_A violent flash of light suddenly erupted just in front of Hinata. She shielded her eyes, screaming in pain. Kiba was distraught by his actions. He knew that a flash bomb at such a close range could temporarily blind a Hyuuga and she did the mistake of thinking it was just one of the many smoke bombs and not shielding her eyes. An opening had been made, and despite his guilt, he nodded to Akamaru, and they once again began to spin. Entering the smoke, and sniffing out Hinata's scent, the two located the Hyuuga mistress and came close to making contact for real this time, until they felt a sudden pain._

_Hinata had just grabbed both of their hands seconds before impact. She had her eyes closed shut, as they began to fill with tears once more. "N-Nice try…" Hinata was struggling to hold onto their wrists, but the Kiba and Akamaru ran away once more. The smoke began to clear, and Hinata was rubbing her eyes after deactivating her Byakugan. The effects of the light at point-blank were yet to wear off, as things were still very blurry._

_Transferring chakra like we're live chakra conductors…But how did she detect us…Could it be? Kiba then looked at Hinata loosen up a bit as she let out a deep breath before resuming her Jyuuken stance. Of course! Neji did the same thing against that Sound nin. He emitted chakra around his entire body in order to detect that guy's projectiles. We're not gonna win like this…_

"_Akamaru, it's time to use our ultimate attack." Akamaru looked at him with a look of surprise. "She knows Kaiten now. And if we hit with only 70 of our strength, our attack should overpower her defense, whilst reducing the sonic spinning, and still have enough punch to knock her back." Akamaru returned to his dog form and barked out at Kiba. "Ah, I know. If she dies, you and all the other dogs will never acknowledge me as an Inuzuka again…I got it boy." Kiba made a single seal and leaped into the air with Akamaru._

"_Inuzuka Style: Man Beast Morph!"_

_The entire stadium stood in awe at what was in front of them. Hinata's eyes returned to normal as she recognized the large, white, double-headed dog in front of her, its fangs were dripping with saliva, yet it seemed oddly calm. Its yellow eyes were fixed on a now semi-quivering Hinata. She quickly assumed her Kaiten stance, just as the wolf lunged at her. The moment it attacked, she began to spin her body as quickly as possible._

"_Hakkeshou! Kaiten!"_

"_Double Wolf Fang!!"_

_A ton of smoke was kicked up by the impact as the crash echoed throughout the village of Konoha. Genma had already jumped out of the way to safety, and spat his tooth-pick out upon seeing the explosion._

"_Kids these days," was all he said, before smirking arrogantly yet with a trace of nervousness._

_The people in the audience were no longer in their seats. Hiashi had gone all the way up to the guard rail along with Hanabi and Neji, and yelled out Hinata's name, fearing that the worst had just happened. Neji and Hanabi, meanwhile, tried to look for her with their Byakugan but could only distinguish one large chakra signature._

_The double-headed wolf looked over the limp body of Hinata, as she was now lying face down. Her jacket was now completely torn apart, along with the upper left sleeve of her blue shirt and her breathing had stopped. Genma reappeared and was about to check on her. The wolf bent its head low. "Gomen ne…Hinata-chan," said the more savage sounding voice of Kiba. "I didn't want to but…I hope this is enough for everyone here to know how tough you are…"_

"_Kiba-kun…" The voice came from behind him. The figure descended from its hiding in the trees. It was Hinata, safe and sound, without a scratch. She walked up to the wolf, which simply stood there, as if it had seen a ghost. Hinata walked all the way up to the large dog, until it was now practically towering over her. She closed her eyes, blushed a little and looked at it with a slight smile. "Kiba-kun?"_

"_E-Eh?"_

_A slight giggle was now heard. "Kai."_

_Another explosion had just rocked the stadium. It hit Kiba and Akamaru head-on. The dog broke their dual-headed form and took the hit for Kiba. Though it wasn't fatal, his fur changed back to its normal light shade before Akamaru fell unconscious. "She-she exploded!! That can't be!! No, it can't—"_

"_You," a voice, heavy with panting was heard. Kiba slowly turned around and gasped. Hinata was in front of him once more, but it was the one who he and Akamaru had hit with the Double Wolf Fang attack. She had her legs bent, with her left foot extended forward, her left palm out in front of her facing upwards and her right palm away from her body as it too was facing with the palm visible. _

"_You are in my field of divination." Kiba could barely scream before Hinata was upon him. _

"_Eight Trigrams: Sixty Four Strikes!" She spun around and hit two tenketsu in his chest and stomach. "Two strikes!" She then hit him in four different places, two on the right and left shoulders and two on the right and left pelvis regions. "Four strikes!" Her attacks rapidly began to increase in speed as she was now hitting tenketsus on his limbs. "Sixteen strikes!" The attacks then centered on the upper and lower torsos with some hitting the head region. "Thirty two strikes!" Hinata finally overlapped her right arm over her left as she forced as much chakra out of her left palm as needed to nail Kiba squarely in the chest. "Sixty four strikes!!"_

_Kiba flew back some distance before blood erupted from his mouth. Hinata immediately dropped to her good knee, the other still feeling the effects of the Kaiten-Double Wolf Fang collision._

_Only a few more seconds, she thought over and over and over again. Just a few more._

"_Ladies and gentlemen," said Genma, after he examined the beat up body of Kiba, "Here's your winner for this year's Chuunin exam finals. Hyuuga Hinata! What the—"_

_I heard it…I heard my name…Now I can…rest…Yes…rest…I won…At last…My name…_

* * *

"Are you awake, Hinata-san?" 

She was, indeed. Hinata couldn't move her body too well but at least her arms were okay. "H-Hai, Raven-sama."

Raven slightly coughed before he walked over to her. He gently bumped her on the head and sat down next to her immobile form. "Don't do that jutsu again. You could have died if I hadn't been around."

"D-Died? I see…But, what happened exactly?"

"Don't remember, huh? Well, whatever that jutsu was, it started invading your body and draining you of your chakra, like some kind of leech. Not satisfied with that, it started to act on your cells, which would explain your internal bleeding. This is merely a guess…But I'm guessing that either you didn't apply enough chakra to mold the technique or something was simply missing. If I hadn't transferred the chakra I gained from opening the Wound Gate to you…"

Hinata immediately sat up. "W-Wound gate? You mean one of the eight chakra gates, right? How did you do that? How did you transfer it?" _I thought only Lee-san and Gai-sensei could do that._

"Yeah, I know how to open chakra gates. It takes a lot of training, I guess. And once you learn how to reverse the chakra flow when performing chakra absorption, you'll be able to transfer chakra to others as well. It wasn't simply a matter of healing so much as it was about overpowering that chakra surrounding you, so don't think that medical jutsu could have solved the same problem using less chakra." Hinata felt a plastic cup of water at her lips. She took it in her hands and drank it.

"Thank you…Raven-sama…"

"No problem. I guess I'll be turning in for the night." Hinata nodded but before he could leave, she suddenly remembered something. "Ah, Raven-sama! I almost forgot to show you another jutsu that I knew."

"Forget it. Show it to me some other time."

"Please. I need you to clarify some things about it, if you could." Before he could protest, Hinata formed a small marble of green chakra in her hands. Since she was almost completely drained from the Divine Valykrie jutsu turning on her, she could only manage that much. She took the little mass and had it absorbed into her finger, which she then used to strike the ground. Raven changed his mind about discussing it later when he saw the miniature spiral shaped hole before him.

"It was supposed to be Healing no Jutsu, but every time I try to perform it, I get this instead. What am I doing wrong? Or rather…what did I do right?"

Upon learning that the chakra mass was medical-based, Raven went into deep thought. Hinata thought he left until he finally spoke out. "It's pretty interesting what you've done, and I think I should tell you that you've most likely discovered a new jutsu. A new jutsu that only a Hyuuga could use."

"Eh? Really?"

"The basics of healing using chakra are the closing of the wound, initiating the repair of broken tissue and stopping the nerve impulses of pain. Each of these steps are three techniques in themselves, and only those medic-nins with perfect chakra control can perform them all at the same time and that too, correctly. You've only been performing one of these procedures and that's ceasing the sensation of pain, but that's not all. That green chakra is being combined with the chakra you use in your Jyuuken, so whenever you perform a Hyuuga-style Jyuuken attack, so, depending on its size, it will mold itself to suit the nature of the attack you're performing. You're unconsciously releasing it right now using your Jyuuken, but it seems you're able to exactly dictate how you want to act."

"…"

"Well…yeah. If I were you that would be my exact same reaction…" Raven got up again and left, leaving Hinata to wonder if she should sleep or celebrate her lack of being a decent medic-nin.

_I'll give the priority to sleep tonight, _she thought to herself happily. _Just this one night._

Contrary to what he said, it wasn't just a simple matter of calling his name and he'd come running—Raven had disappeared without a trace for about 4 days the day after Hinata nearly died, leaving only a note saying 'Read these' attached to a bunch of the scrolls he had left for her. Just as she was about to curse his lack of common sense, she discovered that her blindfold was gone. With a sigh, Hinata took the bundle and after bathing and getting dressed, she sat down to view them, just like she did dozens of times before. Her body was still a bit sore from the day before but two soldier pills last night and two more this morning had helped to vastly ameliorate that.

_He left me all three Katon scrolls. I thought he was aware of how bad I am with those…Wait—_

Upon opening them, Hinata was taken aback. While indeed Katon jutsu scrolls, they were techniques she hadn't read up on, heard of, or even dreamt of learning. _Intense Pain? Ash Product Burning? And then there's the Dragon Blast no Jutsu…What is he thinking? _Nevertheless, Hinata started practicing the handseals and forming the chakra. One problem after another came up. To perform the Ash Product Burning no Jutsu, she had concentrate chakra into her lungs and both combust it into fire and then convert it into ash in one fluid motion. She could then have the ash escape through her mouth. Performed correctly, she could burn, blind or even poison an opponent using the sulphur fumes but if she ever so much as coughed slightly (which was unavoidable due to her low tolerance to dust, much less ash), the ash would backlog into her lungs and kill her instantly.

The Dragon Blast no Jutsu wasn't difficult but it required something other than great chakra control or immense chakra reserves: a medium to pass through. Else the chakra-imbued fire would simply remain stationary upon the user's body.

Finally, there came the Intense Pain no Jutsu…Was Raven crazy? Forget even understanding the logic that this technique was as much a genjustu as it was a torrent of pure flame. This was an S-level jutsu, and Hinata couldn't do it, simple as that.

After going through all the scrolls, some containing jutsu she was already aware of, some detailing useful moves like the Blade of Wind and the Bringer of Darkness genjutsu and a few having jutsus that she was performing for the first time (and with a large amount of skill too; the Raiton: Splinter Shock no Jutsu, which basically involved her passing electric currents through her fingertips and didn't require any seals, was flawlessly executed), Hinata began the search for her remaining scrolls.

_If he's hiding them from me, then it means he probably doesn't want me to read them. Or something else… _Hinata activated her Byakugan, and was confused when she discovered that the scrolls were no where within a 1 kilometer radius. _And knowing my Bloodline Limit ability, he took them with him. I just hope I can trust him with my family scrolls._

The next day, Hinata awoke to discover her blindfold back in place. She exited her tent and caught his scent almost immediately.

"I wondered a few times why you would just appear in front of me one day and then just disappear the next. May I know where you've been?"

Raven, who was leaning against a tree, took a few steps towards Hinata and then placed a wooden package at her feet. She thought she heard him grunt as he released his hold on it. After asking her how she was feeling, he spoke.

"A few things I want to make clear. Firstly, when ever we need supplies from the town, I'll be the one to go and fetch them. You'll be here, reading up on any and all the jutsus we've done, and then set to work on mastering some new ones. I'll make a journal keeping track of them. Since that time will come every two weeks and I'll be gone for at least 2 to 4 days each time, you are to have at least 5 new jutsu to show me by the time I get back. The point of the remaining 9 months of the first year of your training is to learn as may jutsus as you can as well improving your chakra control."

Raven stole a glance over to the waterfall in front of him and continued. "I know you've been thinking about it too but you're waterfall climbing exercises will start tomorrow. Second of all, as long as you're with me, that blindfold will remain on. When I'm not around, you'll be free to practice your Byakugan, but the one most important things of this training period are to heighten your senses to such a level, that you'll have hearing abilities that surpass the best Sound nins and a sense of smell that can rival any dog ninja.

"Finally, even though I'll be your instructor from now on, I'd prefer it if you just addressed me as Raven. No 'sama' or 'sensei'. I'm going to be training alongside you as I wish to improve on my taijustu and chakra releasing capabilities, and given that I'm no master ninja myself, I don't think I deserve such a title. Any questions?"

Now that she thought about it, she realized that were a lot of questions. _Why does he not want me to see his face? What does he have to hide? How does he know so much about jutsus and for that matter, the Jyuuken and the Hyuuga? Where did he get those scrolls from? How long has he been watching me? Why does he insist on going to town alone to get supplies? How does he always put me to sleep just before he returns and manage to get my eyes covered again? _But there really was one question above all that Hinata wanted answered.

"Why did you choose me, of all people?"

Raven fell silent for some time and spoke again. "I feel that I could learn a lot from you. In terms of techniques, there are quite a few of them I don't know. That Intense Pain Katon jutsu is one of them. I just thought that I could achieve a lot more in a lot less time if I have a capable partner with me."

"Ah. I see," said Hinata. _The other questions would have to wait for now…_

"Now, with that out of the way, could you put on this suit I got for you?"

Hinata bent down and tried to pick up the box with her bare hands but found it was no use. Raven informed her to just wear the suit for now, as he took it out of the crate and handed it to her. It was a single piece outfit, black in color and it covered her entire body. It fit her form perfectly, which caused Hinata to blush when she began wondering how Raven could have possibly found out her size. The suit felt a bit odd in some places, as it contained small slits with zippers, and the cloth felt like an odd mix of cotton and metallic fibers. _Must be that new polyester fabric I've been hearing about, _thought Hinata. After being informed that she should remove her undergarments to prevent any itching she may feel later on (to which Hinata turned crimson yet again) since she'd be wearing the suit a lot from now on, Raven left her to change. As he was leaving he informed her that, "I'll flick my sword so that you know where I am at all times by the sound. Act accordingly if it gets to loud."

With Raven gone, Hinata began to undress, first removing her jacket and then her pants. Before she was fully undressed however, the petite Hyuuga smelled the fresh vapors emanating from the creek. _A bath before I put it on would be real nice,_ she thought as she began to unhook her bra.

As the sword moved back and forth from the string it was attached to, creating a loud 'clang' that told Hinata that he was at least more than 70 yards away from her, Raven leapt from one tree to another, making sure that he moved noiselessly. He arrived at the creek which made up the two ninjas training ground and looked around. _Where did she—_

He was interrupted by a splashing sound as he saw her. The sun was reflecting brightly off of her pale bare back and her drenched hair was now open. Hinata moved closer to the shore and found a rock to sit on and keep her body in the water at the same time. She quietly hummed while braiding her hair, delicately fingering each thick strand of hairs before finally tying it all once at the end and a second time at the base of her head. A light blush came over her face as she stood for a few seconds in the water, and after she moved her head from left to right, as if making sure no one was around, she began to wash her hips and private parts.

_Just because I said they'd itch…Hmph…_

Raven froze when he saw the scars on her arms. There were only a few of them but they were plainly visible. Instantly, he realized how she got them and he leaned his back against the tree whose branch he was perched on.

_Girls…They trust so much…How could any one have the strength to trust that much? How pathetic… But leaving all that aside.._

He scowled as his left eye-brow began to twitch. _Of all the names in the world, I choose the name of a bird. She probably thinks I'm just some cold creep who wants to be left alone. _Raven once more stole a glance to Hinata as she began to splash the water on her face. She then started to move her arms through the water, creating small waves as the cool sensation had her smiling with joy.

_Maybe this name suits me more than I thought…_He sat on the branch for little while longer and contemplated how much longer he should keep up this façade. What was being gained? What was being borne? He could get twice as much training done if he didn't have to worry about watching her little back half the time.

After a few minutes of witnessing her blissful and hypnotizing ritual, Raven came back into his senses and proceeded to make his way back to where his kitana was. Innocently, as if it was the only thing on his mind at the time, he continued to flick the sword, until he slowly made it back to the campsite. Hinata was already dressed in the black outfit and as she tied her blue bandana around her forehead, she stood at attention upon his return.

"I'm ready…R-Raven-san…"

"A-Ah yes. Of c-course. Well, ahem…"

"Is…Is everything okay, Raven-san?" Hinata began to walk towards him with her hand outstretched, as Raven grabbed it before it touched his hot cheeks.

"I'm…I'm fine," he said angrily, putting aside his embarrassment. "Now, about that suit." Hinata was once again at attention and Raven immediately turned serious again. "It's meant to be a weighted suit, which explains the number of pockets and zippers on it, but that's not all. I want you to try to climb the tree right next to you, using chakra." Hinata obeyed him, and when she started her climb, she felt wobbly and a bit unstable, like the wood was turning to mud beneath her feet. Suddenly she fell before she could reach the top but Raven caught her in his arms.

"What…What just happened?" Hinata was sure that she had control. She had performed the exercise hundreds of times, so why was it not working properly now?

"Your new suit," started Raven, as he placed Hinata on her feet, "Is made of a special fabric that has an opposite polarity to the chakra moving through your body. It's meant to oppose chakra gathering, molding and release and the effect gets stronger as the amount of chakra to be used increases. The purpose of wearing this suit is to increase your grip over your chakra, so that you'll be able to perform most of the simple jutsus without even batting an eye. Not to mention the benefits you'll get when it'll come to controlling the larger jutsus, like the Divine Valykrie."

"A-Ah…Wow…I didn't know such suits existed…"

"Help me out here. In that box are a bunch of little weights. I want you to fill some of the slits with about 4 weights each. Each of those little things is about 5 pounds, so bear with it while I help you."

Hinata began to fill the slits with weights and zipping them accordingly, while Raven assisted her by placing weights on her arms and on her back. The procedure became difficult for Hinata as she felt more and more weighed down, like she was being converted into an anchor of sorts. By the time they were finished, the Hyuuga heiress had about 140 pounds on her body.

"I-It's not too bad," Hinata said. She could still move, despite her general speed being drastically reduced. She was able to cope with the stress the weights were putting on her body thanks to the numerous work-outs she had been doing up till now and the soft padding which the suit provided from the inside kept them secure without cutting into her skin. Raven told her that they would be jogging a few laps around the forest before moving on to tree-climbing. He told Hinata to try and push herself to the limit but if she couldn't take anymore, then she was welcome to rest. Hinata understood and the first step in the two shinobis' new regime had just begun.

It wasn't too different from Hinata's old schedule, and there were many times where she would tease Raven about his lack of originality. The schedule consisted of the two getting up at 7 AM and practicing waterfall-climbing for about four hours. Hinata struggled with it as much as she possibly could but many times she had fallen, thanks to the chakra altering properties of her suit. Raven was there to help her at times, and he almost panicked one time when he missed her hand as she fell. Raven swan dived into the water, thinking that she would drown, only to see her laughing her head off when she showed him that creek was only up to her neck. How funny he actually found was another matter altogether. In his mind, he formed innumerable, logical reasons for his behaviour. Naturally, she was weak and timid, so her senses wouldn't be able to adjust to the fact that she was suddenly falling (the suit also contributed to her inability to react). Also, its not like he was trying to save her—he just didn't want her to drown. What right did she have to say that he cared for her? Did he show any face of worry or express any sense of danger for her life? With those sound reasons in his mind, Raven continued training her.

Nevertheless, when she couldn't take anymore, Raven assigned her to tree-climbing and water-walking, saying that some control exercises are better than none. After eating lunch at 11 AM, the two would play shogi and even discuss new tactics and strategies like how to correctly perform one-handed jutsus, using two jutsus at simultaneously (Yamato's name popped up from time to time, and she thought she heard Raven smirk during those couple of times), converting most jutsus into seal-less jutsus and what not. The topics eventually turned to genjutsus, but Raven changed the topic when he mentioned the name of what he claimed was the most powerful genjutsu in the shinobi world. At 1 PM, sword practice began, which was the same as before, and the weights provided Hinata with a new wall to scale. Raven started teaching Hinata a few new moves and a totally new style which focused solely on thrusts and stabs. 'The thrust of the human body is its fastest attainable speed after all,' were the words which motivated Hinata to master this new style. At 6 PM, the physical exercises would begin and they would contain brief spurts of jutsu training, sometimes when Hinata couldn't move her legs at all. For the first week of the new schedule, Raven had to carry Hinata's unconscious body back to camp so she could heal up for the next day.

_And I was about to suggest going for some days without any sleep so we could have more time to train, too, _he thought with a snicker. _But you're still really amazing, Hinata-san._

The Hyuuga family scrolls were eventually revealed to Hinata once more, during one of Raven's excursions, and she set about learning the Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm but faced total ineptness when she came across the two techniques, 'Eight Trigrams: 256 strikes' and 'Eight Trigrams Ultimate Attack: 1024 strikes'. No matter how hard she tried, it was either the speed of the palm strikes or the chakra releasing which always got in her way. And no sooner did she feel like bringing this up with Raven, then she discovered a scroll with a somewhat crumpled and yellowed piece of paper attached to it. It was supposedly one of the medical scrolls that she had borrowed from the Hokage's library. Hinata detached the note and read it curiously.

_To who will inherit my will of fire._

_-K.A._

Even more confused than before, Hinata opened the scroll. Her hands trembled as she read it. Firstly because, it was two techniques, rather than one like most scrolls. Secondly, it had the Hokage's seal on it, but it wasn't Tsunade's seal. And finally, she had heard about these two techniques and how devastating they could be. The scroll fell from her hands at last, as Hinata looked at the jutsus that she had absent-mindedly taken without checking for sure whether they were medical scrolls or not.

As the scroll unrolled, the words, "Body Flicker no Jutsu" could be seen.

When it rolled out to its entire length, the words, "Flying Thunder God no Jutsu" were revealed.

_I'm gonna be in so much trouble for this…_

_**Later that night…**_

"Uh, yeah…I think you should go by yourself when you're ready to tell the Godaime. She'll honor your honesty if you're alone," said Raven, as he sipped his soup calmly.

_Coward, _thought Hinata, hanging her head gloomily.

**

* * *

****Author's Notes:**Oh Lord, I think I'm gonna die…This chapter took up most of my time and yet, I think it's the best so far. The fight between Kiba and Hinata during the Chuunin exams also took some time to come up with, but I'm satisfied with the end result. Also, the idea of a chakra suit that disrupts its wearer's chakra flow was inspired by the same from the fan fiction, **Savior**. However, the explanation is entirely my own. Tell me what you think of this new chapter! 

**Body Flicker unleashed! Hyuuga Arts revealed! Next! Chapter 4: Uchiha!**


	5. Chapter 4: Uchiha

**My Eyes**

By Shiranui the Brave

**Author's Notes:** Thanks to every one for their reviews and time. Without any further ado, Chapter 4! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Hinata and Sasuke may kick ass but I don't own them. Or Naruto at all for that matter.

**Chapter 4: Uchiha**

"_No…I don't want to…No…"_

"_You wish to become stronger? Than you must walk down this road eventually…Ku ku ku…"_

"_No, not like this…Make them go away…Please…"_

"_It's the last hurdle to your gaining power! NOW DO IT!!"_

"_No…I don't…I don't wanna be like him!!"_

"_Sasuke!!"_

"Ah!" Sasuke immediately awoke, sweat coming down the sides of his head. He was clearly trying to take in more air than his body could handle, and would have choked if he didn't wake up at that time. He looked at his hands, which were now pale white and then covered his face with them, before rubbing his black hair. _The same dream…the same nightmare…_

"Raven-san, what's the matter?" The dreamy voice of Hinata brought Sasuke back to his surroundings and his current situation. He was training to become stronger alongside Hinata, even though he hadn't revealed his true identity to her. He simply didn't know how she'd react and as it was, he wanted to involve himself with her as little as possible. But ever since that day when he first saw her, exhausted and panting in the forest as she finally fainted, to those days when he fought against her and when he was spying on her while she was bathing, the Uchiha was feeling a little more personal, a little more protective, and a lot more possessive of her than he thought he had the right to be.

Hinata rubbed her eyes, and immediately placed her hand on his shoulder. "Bad dream?" Sasuke gave an inaudible 'Hai' before he lay back to his sleeping posture next to the innocent Hyuuga girl. "It's alright. Dreams aren't real, so they can't hurt you," said Hinata, as she managed a bright smile, with her blindfold hiding her eyes.

"Hai…Oh and…I'm sorry about this," said Sasuke sadly, his head facing away from Hinata. His cheeks were flushed red as he remembered there predicament.

Hinata also seemed to remember and she too turned pink before turning her back to Sasuke's. "A-Anno…I-It's okay…"

_**Six Hours Earlier…**_

Sasuke was running through the forest with a great speed, wondering if Hinata was still with him or had collapsed a while back. He was answered by the sudden appearance of her indigo-hair as it fluttered with the wind; the only difference was that her hair reached up to her shoulders now. She had it cut a while back, stating that her preferences came second to the amount of trouble she had to go through in order to keep such a hairstyle maintained. The training was not getting any tougher, rather Hinata and Sasuke were now going even more in-depth, and hence that left her little time to think of her own comforts. Suddenly she stopped, and Sasuke, sensing something wrong, also came to a halt. He had his hands on the kitana-esque Kusanagi strapped just behind his torso, which was held in place by a long, thick rope that also functioned as a belt for his white robe. Nonetheless, he had kept his robe open enough to reveal his bare lean chest.

"What is it, Hinata-san?"

Hinata sniffed the air a couple of times, before finally pointing to the south-east. "Rain clouds. Two kilometers from here. In that direction."

Sasuke's face relaxed a bit, and then he realized that they had a new problem. "Are they heading this way?"

"I…can't tell for sure…No, I don't think so." The night air was sharp, as the December cold had set in. It was excruciating to say the least, but the two ninjas worked up a good sweat from their jog so they weren't worried.

Hinata and Sasuke returned to the campsite, and talked over a couple of things before changing into their sleeping clothes (Sasuke simply took off his robe and set the rope aside, though he made sure to keep his Kusanagi by him at all times). Hinata was curious to know more about him, the one she still referred to as Raven.

"Even though I haven't once seen your face, I'm sure you're a very handsome man, Raven-san," said Hinata, taking a sit next to him.

"Boy."

"Eh?"

"I'm a boy Hinata-san. I just turned 16 a couple of months ago." Sasuke used a ladle to take out a bowl of soup for him and Hinata as well. He then turned to hand it to her. "I hope this is not too much for you to—Hinata-san?" Sasuke caught a glimpse of her as she fainted, with her cheeks flushing deep pink. "Nice," he told himself as he started drinking his soup. But no sooner had Sasuke carried her lifeless body into the tent did he feel a drop of rain on his face.

_Damn, this is what I was afraid of._

Sasuke knew he couldn't get Hinata into warmer clothes so easily, so he simply draped his cloak over her body as he sat next to her. He still caught signs of her shivering, as he proceeded to place a blanket on her before looking around for another.

_Only one blanket? This just keeps getting better and better._

Sasuke left the tent and returned wearing his white robe, which was covering his chest completely now. He didn't mind the cold at all, but tonight was different. The rain was biting into his skin, causing him to shiver profoundly. In this kind of situation, his cloak would have been enough, if only barely, but it was still draped over Hinata. And since he couldn't sleep outside (unless he had a death-wish), he silently opened the flaps of the tent.

_Rain in the winter…The winter of all freaking times…Guess I'll just divert chakra to keep warm…_

He stopped his thinking when found Hinata awake. She was sitting up and feeling the cloak that was now upon her. It wasn't the first time she was using it, but tonight, for some reason, she caressed it with her hands before bringing the fur collar up to her face. She caught Sasuke's footsteps and moved her head up to him, forgetting her earlier shyness.

"Aren't you cold?"

"Cold? 'Freezing' would be a better word, but it's not like I can complain…Only one blanket it seems…And that's yours, so—"

The realization finally hit Hinata. _Raven-san has been sleeping outside all this time. He's only had the clothes he wears and this cloak to keep him warm…I…I didn't even once ask if he was feeling comfortable or not…_

"A-Anno…E-Eto…Y-Y-You could…um…." Her old habit of pressing her two index fingers together suddenly came back as she was blushing from ear to ear.

"Spit it out already, Hinata-san. What's on your mind?"

And that's how Hinata and Sasuke ended up sharing not only a blanket and his cloak, but also pressed against each other's backs to keep warm. Hinata tried to use logic to justify her idea, saying, 'You don't have a wife so you wouldn't get in trouble if you were sleeping in the same tent as a girl because you're not a 30 year old warrior so it'd be silly to assume you had kids, which shows how concentrated you are on your nindo…" which only earned her a somewhat confused and irritated 'What?' from the Uchiha. It seemed that she was just trying to make herself feel better about her decision, but Sasuke accepted it anyway, and now here they were. The closeness was enough to cause any girl or boy to keep warm in more ways than one, blankets be damned.

"I'm sorry…I'll get us some more blankets first thing tomorrow," said Sasuke, with his eyes closed. It was already 5 AM, so going back to sleep might not have been the smartest thing to do. Not to mention that he had an unhealthy habit of not being able to go back to sleep once he had been awaken. _Not that I mind, since it means I don't have to look forward to those nightmares. I could care less about how unhealthy it is…_

"Don't forget to pick up some clothes also. I-I don't know how you can wear the same clothes everyday…" Hinata was still nervous from having a boy so close to her. If her father and cousin found out, Raven would be nothing more than a memory. Hinata slowly drifted back to sleep. _I wonder if Raven could compete with father and Neji-Nii-san together,_ she thought innocently and this was enough to distract her already weary mind.

It's been nearly eight months now since Hyuuga Hinata had left her home in the Hidden Village of the Leaf to go on a training journey. She was joined about 4 months later by Uchiha Sasuke, who, in order to go unnoticed by her, took on the name Raven and had sealed Hinata's Byakugan thanks to the blindfold she kept with her and which he only removed when he was long gone. He always had a genjutsu ready for when he got back which he would use to put Hinata back to sleep and then discreetly replace her blindfold. Somehow, every time a period of four days had passed, Hinata would one way or another get that blindfold back on her head, no matter how long she waited for him with her Byakugan activated and scanning all her surroundings. Hinata's reasons to be suspicious of Sasuke had decreased as he made good on his promise to help her get stronger but there was still an aura of mystery about him that she could not penetrate, and she didn't think it would be a good idea for her to try and force him to clear it up.

Nonetheless, the results had exceeded her expectations. She had mastered all the Suiton jutsu that she had been practicing up until that point and as of now, was very close to doing the same for the Great Waterfall no Jutsu, the Water Fang Bullet no Jutsu and the Water Dragon Blast no Jutsu, the former two being jutsu that she read from the scrolls that Sasuke had with him.. All of the Doton jutsu had been mastered and Hinata was now working on the Earth Dislodgement no Jutsu, a technique which would cause boulders to fall on her enemy, and the Earth Dragon no Jutsu, which allowed her to create a dragon made of rock and soil to attack with. It was even more advantageous when she would be near the water; since it practically used the same seals as the Water Dragon Blast no Jutsu, her enemy would never know whether she would summon a dragon from the water or from the earth until it was too late. Hinata read that there was a way to create more than one dragon to attack with, but this required a large amount of chakra, almost on the level of a Hokage. Sasuke also took the time to inform her that there were Doton jutsu which one could use to harden one's skin and to create a swamp to sink enemies into.

"Unfortunately, only one man in the ninja world knows how to perform that jutsu," said Sasuke during their lunch break _And I don't think he has a very high opinion of me after what I tried to do to his precious pupil…­_

Hinata's sword play was also improving by leaps and bounds. The Fang Thrust style was now mastered. She was now working on using her Jyuuken style in tandem with the Tsumugari, since it was a chakra blade after all, able to absorb the chakra properties of its user. The chakra would be in the shape of a blade as it surrounded her sword and she could either increase or decrease its length. Now, she had a handy tool for being able to seal large numbers of tenketsu with one sweeping motion. She also managed to learn the Leaf Crescent Dance, a sword technique that involved the use of the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. Sasuke was impressed by her ability to maintain the Kage Bunshins for a decent amount of time and decided to show her the Clone Great Explosion no Jutsu.

"If you're facing another Byakugan user, than I don't think sticking explosive notes on the back of your normal bunshin will fool them so easily," he said, obviously referencing the fight between Hinata and Kiba which she took the time to explain to him beforehand. He applauded her toughness more than anything, as he told her that rarely would anyone have thought of such a concrete strategy when they were in such intense pain, and an even less number would have the strength left to perform a chakra-enhanced taijutsu move when they had been hit by such a devastating attack. _Nevertheless, he must have gone easy on her…_

Sasuke left her another scroll when he was away, detailing a style known as _Tenryuu_, literally meaning, Heaven Dragon. Hinata looked into it and discovered that it detailed the use of Chinese-style acrobatics and sword handling, and hence required an impressive level of fitness. Not one to shy from a challenge, she set herself to the task. It was particularly fun when she used it tandem with the Kage Sword no Jutsu, a technique that allowed her to create multiple copies of the Tsumugari. Using a complex mix of chakra strings, eighteen to twenty swords, and the Heaven Dragon's high-flying maneuvers, Hinata created the Shining Strikes combo, and she didn't even think twice about using it in tandem with her Bringer of Darkness genjutsu, an illusionary technique which made a foe believe they were surrounded on all sides by darkness; they would hence be unable to see from where and what kind of attack was coming at them. Her Uchiha companion remarked that she would be made a Branch family member if she kept her efforts up, no doubt referencing her cousin Hyuuga Neji, who was the strongest ninja of the Hyuuga (on the same level of her father) and was quickly making a name for himself as the most talented rookie Jonin that Konoha had produced since the Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi. Hinata didn't miss the wry humor in his comment but laughed it off all the same.

Her Raiton jutsus, for some strange reason, were perfect. Even stranger, she managed to perform the two techniques she had with her, the Splinter Shock no Jutsu and the Electric Web no Jutsu, flawlessly on her first tries, and they were possibly the only jutsus that weren't affected when she donned her chakra-altering suit. Speaking of which, her suit now weighed 240 pounds, thanks to Sasuke's determination to increase her speed more and more. Her chakra control was getting better and better, and she would have been able to literally crawl on the waterfall near the creek the two were staying at if Sasuke hadn't insisted that they change their location in pursuit of more rigorous training exercises. They had since set up camp at the foot of the large Shinsuu Mountain, and quite often, Sasuke and Hinata would climb it only using their chakra. Sasuke was determined to reach the top, while Hinata was adamant in that if she was going down, she'd take him and his stupid training ideas with her. But it wasn't all that bad—Sasuke had shown her what she missing when she was trying to perform the Fire Dragon Blast no Jutsu: a special thread, made of silk and nylon and reinforced with chakra, whose manufacture had been a family secret, and which he was now explaining to Hinata. After she performed the Great Fireball no Jutsu, Sasuke was thinking of using the old Uchiha joke--whenever any member of his clan saw a ninja use this jutsu, they would humorously (and most times, arrogantly) remark that maybe they would now be considered adults in Uchiha. He mentally slapped himself when he realized that not only would she not get it, but that girls didn't need to know the move to be able to become adults as all they had to do was marry an Uchiha boy. _Hinata's definitely gotten better at this…Though I doubt she'll be able to use _that_ jutsu of mine…Which reminds me…I wonder how I'm going to go about learning the Intense Pain Katon jutsu. _

Fuiton jutsus were tougher than ever. It took a good two weeks to relearn the Great Breakthrough no Jutsu and two whole months to learn the Blade of Wind no Jutsu. With all the different methods of attack, Hinata was still glad that she had her newly christened Divine Chakra Combat Parts, a medical jutsu gone wrong, with which she could surprise her enemy's with. She no longer had to form a mass of green chakra in one hand and have it absorbed by any of her body parts; she could now simply form it in whatever part of her body she wanted, and since she was a Jyuuken user, it was only a matter of gathering the chakra internally and then releasing it through her tenketsus, something that could have been done in her sleep. She could form shields, axes, swords…the list was long.

Finally the time came when Sasuke decided to discuss some of her Hyuuga family techniques with her.

"I don't…k-know why…It's just not working," said Hinata, gasping for air. She had just attempted the Eight Trigrams: 512 strikes and, frustrated by her lack of success, the 1024 strikes immediately after. Pounding the tree in order to release her frustration, Hinata turned to 'Raven'.

"It's a miracle, you know…"

"What is?" Hinata straightened up her posture and looked at him without any malice. No amount of pent-up rage could cause her to use the one boy who had gone out of his way to help her, train with her, even carry her when she couldn't take it anymore, as a venting point.

"That you took that Body Flicker no Jutsu scroll by mistake. I think," he said as he uncrossed his arms, "That it's time you started to practice that."

"H-Hai…Anno…How exactly does it go now," said Hinata, who was slowly gaining her composure back.

Sasuke couldn't help but smirk at the cuteness that was an inherent and natural trait in the young Hyuuga heiress. "The Body Flicker no Jutsu involves pouring chakra into each of your senses. Maintaining this chakra throughout your entire body is of utmost importance. You can kind of think of it as opening a chakra gate to increase your speed; just here, you need to keep it constant. The Body Flicker must be used in tandem with any one of those moves in order for them to be effective, but then you'll have to concentrate on both pushing chakra out of your palms while maintaining chakra in your body the entire time."

"B-But…There must be Hyuuga who can do them without having known the Body Flicker…"

"Yes, there are. And they're about 30 years older than you, and can only use them when they're at peak condition. In other words, they can only use it a single time…They gained the speed through years of training their bodies."

Hinata began to understand the implications of these two moves. "The chakra required is immense, and combining that with the Body Flicker…"

Hinata suddenly felt a warm hand on top of her head. "Don't worry. By the time you're training is complete, you won't have to worry about that."

Hinata managed a grateful smile. "Arigatou…"

"However, there is one thing I'm confused about…"

"Huh? What is it?"

"Well…The Body Flicker no Jutsu is not a difficult technique. Almost all Jonins and every ANBU know it pretty well."

"H-Huh…That's right…When they surround themselves in those storms of leaves or when they disappear in a cloud of smoke…Their actually trying to disguise the movement from the jutsu…" Hinata remembered that one time when she was about to be killed by her cousin in the prelims for the third part of the very first Chuunin exam she took more than three years ago. All the teams' respective Jonin had just appeared out of thin air to restrain Neji. _The speed was amazing to say the least._

"There is only explanation to this…And after reading information based on the other technique listed…Hinata, you've read about the Konoha's Yellow Flash, Kazama Arashi, also called the Yondaime Hokage, right?"

"Of course. He was the most feared shinobi amongst our enemies during the Third Great Ninja Wars…He once took out 50 Rock Nins single-handedly."

"Everyone assumed he had an unnaturally enhanced Body Flicker. Some called it a Bloodline Limit ability. What the general public didn't know was that it was actually due to another jutsu that was his personal invention: The Flying Thundergod no Jutsu. It involves projecting an invisible line of chakra towards your target and then teleporting towards their location, but due to the level of chakra control involved, he invented a special seal that he could attach to the location he needed to reach and simply 'summoned' himself towards that seal."

"Interesting. So you think that his specifying the Body Flicker is a sign that it was a step towards this…Thundergod jutsu?" _It doesn't sound right though…being able to pour chakra into every one of your senses to move fast is one thing…But stretching a line of chakra out, and that too making it invisible, towards a location…If a person were to adjust the line to augment his line of sight…He would literally sail across the map._

"I'm not sure, though it seems unlikely. Also, you have to remember: Only the Yondaime knew how to make those special seals to transport himself without having to waste even a fraction of his chakra. If we're going to do it the way he intended it to be done, you're going to need a larger chakra reserve and chakra control on the level of the Godaime to even attempt to learn it.

"Hai!" Hinata now knew the true implications of taking this jutsu from Tsunade-sama, but decided that it was an honest, and very beneficial, mistake (in a long list of many) and she'd somehow repay her for it. "You are really amazing though, Raven-san! I didn't think you knew so much about Konoha's Hokages."

_Well, Orochimaru's library had just what I needed to know. I still remember him whining about not being to perform that jutsu…_"Thank you. Now, you can start training the Body Flicker tomorrow, because right now," said Sasuke as he took off his white robe, revealing his newly-purchased black sleeveless (which also had the Uchiha fan-symbol sewed on to the back) and laid it to one side, "It's time to practice our taijutsu. No chakra."

Hinata nodded with another smile and got into a Jyuuken-style fighting stance. "Ready?"

Sasuke leapt forward and twisted his body to deliver a kick in mid-air, which Hinata blocked just in time as it collided with her left forearm. He then landed on his hands and flipped himself up, using his palm to attack, which Hinata met head-on with her own palm thrust. The two collided in a violent clap of power, and this continued for some time, as Sasuke delivered palm after palm, all of which Hinata made contact with using her own two palms. Feeling the need to alter his strategy, he went in with a punch to Hinata's abdomen. It connected or seemed to at least. In fact, Hinata had just let the attack begin to graze and then followed its speed and flow as she sucked her stomach in. She then casually bent backwards, as if she was going to fall on her back, but suddenly, she stuck her two palms out before she hit the ground, and with pure strength and balance, brought her entire body up into a handstand. Impressed by the deception, Sasuke swung his foot to connect with a roundhouse kick to her back, but he felt his foot deflect from its target. His momentum caused him to swing around but before he could react, he was greeted by a series of kicks to the face, one after another.

Hinata was shifting her hands again and again to spin her entire body in a hurricane-like motion. Finally, she felt nothing but air and leapt back up to her feet. She couldn't apply chakra to her ears and nose, unless she wanted to lose the match, so she had to rely on her normal senses. As it was, Sasuke's scent had disappeared. Suddenly, she heard movement behind her, along with a sound of metal dragging along the ground and for some reason; she felt a rush of air coming at her. She had caught the sheath which had been thrown at her, and was now using it to parry each of the strikes of the sharp blade before her. Sasuke was constantly changing his grip on the sword, first going in with a reverse hold and then switching to an upright hold when he wanted to apply a bit more force. He then jabbed the hilt into Hinata's shoulder, and as she fell, he brought the sword down to land in her shin. Out of desperation, she caught the sword with her hand, gripping it as tightly as possible to prevent him from moving. Blood began to drip from her hand, but Hinata was adamant in her will. She dragged Sasuke over to her by means of her grip on the Kusanagi, and forearmed him in the face with her left arm. She then dropped to her knees and performed a front sweep kick to take him off his feet, and just as he jumped up to avoid it, just when he regained control on the sword, Hinata did the unexpected.

She pushed herself upwards, using her hands, and caught his neck between her two ankles. She then twisted her body and brought his head straight down into the ground with a 'thud', but even when she began to smile with victory, her face turned to shock. Sasuke had landed on his head, _straight on his head_ and somehow managed to use that momentum to somersault his body forward the second Hinata released her grip on his neck. Her shock then turned to fear. His scent had disappeared again.

With a strong waft or air, it returned as she felt his presence two seconds after his kick hit her jaw. Hinata began to fly upwards but still floated in the air. _This move, _she thought as she was looking around her with panic. Like a whirlwind, he immediately appeared behind her.

"It's over!"

Sasuke flipped Hinata's body to the left as his left leg was about to meet with her side. Luckily she got her forearm up in time and guarded against it. He then twisted his body to the right, bringing his right knee up this time. _Okay, just have to guard against—_

Her thoughts were interrupted as his fist made contact with her head. It hit her square on her forehead and though the metal forehead protector took the brunt of it, it shattered into pieces, and Hinata was know thrown off her game. He then planted a forearm into her gut as the two rapidly began to fall. _Have to guard…against the…_

"Final!"

Sasuke brought his left leg down in a guillotine-like motion right into Hinata's chest as he screamed the words, "Lion Combo!!"

He then leapt back onto his feet and back into his fighting pose. Hinata got back up slowly, and as Sasuke looked upon her body, he crossed his arms and smiled. "Looks like I win." A green chakra in the shape of an armor's breastplate was surrounding her upper torso. Hinata winced from the pain across her entire body as she made to walk past him. She passed by Sasuke but then stumbled on some rocks. He caught her before she had a chance to fall, and extended her arm across his shoulder as she leaned on him for support.

"You're…really…wow…you're just…"

_Inhuman, _thought Sasuke with an expressionless look in her direction. _I hope I didn't hurt her too much..._ He then felt an arm wrap around his body and the other arm grasping the back of his neck, as he was caught forcefully in a hug. They stood there for some time—Sasuke frozen by her sudden outburst and now Hinata's sudden sobbing as she buried her face in his chest. _What is this all of a sudden?_

"You're…Y-You're…the best thing that's ever happened to me…" The tears were being soaked up by the blindfold but some managed to fall down her cheeks.

"Nobody…Nobody has ever tried to help me get stronger…but not just t-that…" She revealed her face, which had a smile on it. "You…It's like you complete me Raven-san…Arigatou…"

"H-Hinata…san…"

_What's going on? Is she sad that she lost to me, and that's why she's crying? No…she's happy…she's happy because…Oh I see…_Sasuke then closed his eyes and placed a hand on the top of her head. _All her life, there's been nobody who hadn't underestimated her…Nobody who wouldn't take it easy on her…Nobody who would help her become stronger…Nobody who showed her the true reality…Hinata-san, to be able to hold in those tears…And to still live on with hope…_ _What kind of strength is that? Why doesn't she feel the need to run away? How do you train yourself to be like that? I don't get it at all…_

_And those moves she displayed…Her God Arts training is going better than expected…_

"Raven-san," said Hinata meekly, as she continued to hug him. "That move you used…I think I've heard of it somewhere before…"

_Damn! I just had to say those two words!!_

"Err…H-Hinata-san…It's time for my mountain climbing exercise, so…I just wanted to say…You did great today, and I'm really proud of you…and…"

"Can I come?"

"Huh?"

"C-Can," Hinata said, her cheeks red from all the crying, "I c-come with you? I d-don't want to…to be alone…"

"Well…okay. I don't mind, really. I just thought that you would like to rest. But if you're okay, then," Sasuke offered his hand to her, "Shall we?"

Hinata smiled as she wiped her cheeks. "Hai!"

The foot of Shinsuu Mountain was chilly and prone to large bouts of mist and the occasional rain shower, but the mountain itself was a whole other level. Snow adorned its peaks and some of it ran down the sides in the form of both tiny snow-flakes and huge avalanches. The rocks were cold and hard, and the sheer unevenness of the peak's geometry made it look like a sword had jutted out from the earth. Climbing it using normal equipment was hard; using chakra, it was difficult; and using chakra in only your hands was sheer suicide. But Hinata and Sasuke were experienced in the ways of chakra control, more than any normal ninja at least, so it was at best a strenuous activity that would leave them both worn-out and dizzy, yet neither made a difference in their goal to reach the top.

Hinata was inching up the wall of granite before her as carefully as she could. Her suit, besides interfering with her control, was weighed down, so she had the tougher job. Sasuke stayed a little behind her at all times, taking care to catch her if anything should go wrong. It had never happened before, but one could never be too careful, and he had enough experiences with snow to know that it always meant bad luck for him. He peered above him. _She's exhausted…I don't know if her stamina is holding up either…_Sasuke spotted a ledge just a little to the left to their current position. _A good place to rest…Hope I brought those soldier pills…_

"Raven-san…"

Sasuke immediately looked behind him. _Is the wind playing tricks on me? How odd. I should point that ledge out to Hinata now._

"Hinata-sa—"

He stopped abruptly as his heart skipped a beat. Hinata was not there. _That voice…No! _Sasuke looked down and saw the rapidly plummeting, and unconscious figure of Hinata. Her hair fluttered wildly, as if slapping her face in an attempt to wake her but it was all in vain.

_Shit!_

Sasuke then leapt off of the wall as his body entered into the same free-falling motion as Hinata's. He sped towards her at a rapid rate but she was already well ahead of him.

_No choice!!_

Sasuke rapidly made a dozen handseals and then crossed his arms together, as electricity started to circulate on the surface of his body. "Raiton: True Flapping Chidori!!"

The Raiton chakra encased his entire body with a blue light.

_Come on…focus it all into my back. _He then released the chakra within him.

The electricity surrounding the Uchiha started to condense itself into a pair of shining and sparkling blue wings. The wings flew open and a bluish white aura of lightning engulfed his movement. He spread his wings and proceeded to dive down at mach speed towards his partner. _Shit…Shit…Come on damn it…_

"_Thank you for sparing my life…"_

"_Make sure to buy some new clothes for yourself…"_

"_Y-You could…um…sleep h-here with m-me…"_

"_Arigatou, Raven-san!"_

"_You complete me…Y-You're…"_

_Inhuman? Cold? A monster?_

"_The best thing to ever happen to me…"_

Sasuke flew right past Hinata. The energy from the True Flapping Chidori was transferred into the ground; as Sasuke landed, shockwaves ripped through the entire area as it exploded in a mix of rock, water and leaves. He eschewed all of his chakra into that one jutsu; his limit had already been reached, but nevertheless…

"Sharingan!" he yelled out.

Sasuke's eyes were replaced by crimson orbs with a single black pupil in the center surrounded by three more dark pupils. He looked at Hinata as she continued to fall, concentrated whatever he had left into his legs and then bounded upward, holding his arms out to catch her, seconds before she could collide with the earth. Sasuke heard his muscles rip; with the height she had fallen at, her weight, including the suit, and the acceleration that built up due to gravity, it felt like he had just caught a meteor. He found a soft spot to lay her body down. Ignoring the pain, Sasuke bit his thumb and spread the blood on to the back of her blindfold. As if by magic, the blindfold came off. He tried to look for a light in her eyes, but they were completely shut.

_No, you don't…Not this way…_

Draping his cloak over her body, he then took his Kusanagi and ripped the suit open from the chest area to help. He then removed the weighted clothing, ignoring the feel of her flesh against his fingers. The next step was administering CPR. Sasuke brought his lips to hers as he closed her nostril shut and exhaled into her lungs.

_No. No. No. Not like this._

Sasuke began to press both of his palms into her sternum and then returned to exhaling air into her mouth.

_Dammit…Dammit…Not again…It's happening again…_He could see all their faces in his mind. All the people who died because of him—all the people who died simply because he couldn't do something; simply because he couldn't do _anything_. His mother, his father, his uncle, his aunt, all the members of his clan…He was gagging on the stench of their rotting flesh entering into his nostrils; his blood-colored eyes almost seemed able to view their bony hands choking him. But that sensation felt real for some odd reason. He was choking. Choking on what he couldn't be sure. His eyes were blurred and mosit—he could still see, but not too well. The tears had already been rolling down his face, but it was only now that he finally paid them heed. Always able to see yet not too well…was it like that his entire life? Did he always fail to see things clearly? Did he always overlook so many things? Did he overlook something like Hinata, who was now dying in his arms?

The choking feeling came back; or rather it was more forced than before. He could feel his frame trembling. All those months of restraining his emotions…All those years of cutting off his heart…Was that why it began to hurt so much? Was that why he forgot just how much he didn't want any one close to him to die ever again?

_What the hell is wrong with me? God damn it…God damn it all…Shit…Shit…Make it stop…Make it stop…_

Sasuke had by now seized the treatment and was now holding her head in his arms, as the tears fell upon her forehead. "Make it stop God…Make it stop…Make it stop…"

_Make the dying stop!!_

"Ra…ve…n….sa…n…"

His crying halted as he brought his ears within centimeters of her mouth.

"Ra…ven…san…Don't…cry…"

Sasuke continued to stare at her face as she slowly opened her eyes. For the first time in eight months, she was looking at the one she thought of as Raven. And he didn't look totally unfamiliar.

"Are you Raven?" Hinata lightly sniffed the air. "Yes, you're Raven…Sasuke…san…? But why...? Why are you—"

_Don't say anymore…_He picked her up and hugged her close to his chest. _Everything's going to be okay…Hinata-san…_Wrapping her in his cloak and carrying her back to the tent, he sat with the timid Hyuuga still huddled in his arms. Sasuke stroked her hair as he kept her cold hand on his cheek. _Everything's going to be okay. It's stopped for now…So everything's gonna be okay…_

_**That Night…**_

Sasuke was sitting on the branch of a tall tree as he gazed upon the moon. Its milky white complexion reminded him of Hinata's eyes, and turned away as he looked upon the tent she was doubtless sleeping in.

_It's over…She knows you betrayed your village and that you ran like a dog to Orochimaru…She won't trust or respect you anymore…There's nothing you can do to make her understand…Maybe I can leave before dawn…Spare her the trouble of having to get me to--_

"Sasuke-san?" Sasuke saw Hinata approach him very tenderly and with careful footing. He climbed down and faced her with an ashamed look on his face. Seeing this, Hinata looked down and spoke, as she folded her hands behind her back. "I-I…Just wanted to say…thank you for saving my life…E-Eto…"

"You have questions…" Sasuke looked towards the moon, not wanting to peer at the real thing for fear of what emotions may be conveyed. "'Why? Where did you come from? Aren't you with Orochimaru? Why did you betray Konoha? Were you really serious about training me? Where did you learn all those jutsus? What are you planning? How dare you—'''

He fell backwards as she leapt into his body, embracing him as tightly as she could. Sasuke felt the air leave his lungs but was even more shocked at having her frail body on top of his. She pressed as close to him as possible. Hinata then looked up at his eyes, with an honest demeanor and desire.

"Please don't talk like that," she said smiling, crushing her lashes together to prevent the tears from falling. "After all that we've been through? After all that you've taught me? You can tell me your story. I'll believe you…I-If you don't want to tell me…That's a-also…"

"No, Hinata-san," said Sasuke, as his eyes formed into the Sharingan. The three smaller black pupils started to shudder as he slowly closed his eyes. "I will tell you the truth. A woman such yourself deserves nothing more than the entire truth, no matter how painful it is."

_I won't run…I won't hide…I won't be weak anymore…_

He then opened his eyes again, as Hinata gasped at the sight before her. The three pointed spokes had replaced the pupils and it resembled a shuriken missing another edge. She tried to identify the Sharingan before her but had no luck. And no idea of the terrifying power that was within those eyes. The eyes…

…Of the Mangekyou Sharingan.

**Author's Notes: **Dun-dun-dun! This chapter was meant to be seen more from Sasuke's point of view, to show everyone how he views Hinata, as well to look at the story from a different angle. Looking back on it, I'm not sure I did a very good job. On one hand, it deviated from the tone that Hinata's view was setting up to be more concise, approximate and focused, much like our boy himself, and on the other hand, it broke in the romantic elements of the story. Hinata has obviously gotten closer to him and viewed him to be more than her father or her friends could ever be, and she expresses her joy with actions rather than words (as if she's a master with them…), not knowing that love is beginning to blossom. What lies ahead for the two? Only time will tell.

In my last chapter, I enthusiastically implied in the Author's Notes that the Body Flicker technique was going to be used by Hinata in this chapter, but I once again ran into the same prob as before: I wanted this to be a part of Chapter 5 but it came to be too long. So I reworked this chapter and included the 'No Chakra' fight between Hinata and Sasuke to show off some of the Hyuuga Style's God Arts moves. The full details surrounding the God Arts style will soon be revealed. For those reading, thanks for your reviews and time!

(Edit: This chapter has been changed a bit from how it was originally. See the chapter 12 for more details.)

**Sasuke's Ordeals! Romance is in the air! Hinata's Elemental Types Revealed! Back to Konoha?! Next! Chapter 5: Memories!**


	6. Chapter 5: Memories

**My Eyes**

By Shiranui the Brave

**Disclaimer: **Been there, done that, losing consciousness, zzzzz…..

_

* * *

__Looking upon the village, my mind is filled with vivid images of hope and happiness. This intoxicating smell that invades my senses…I can almost feel myself dancing with it. The sky is clear and cloudless; only the sun, painted across the sea of blue stands erect as it always has; a sentry whose presence can mean both suffering and warmth, love and despair, snakes and cicadas alike. I look upon the village in front of me with unfeeling eyes…But how long can I keep that up?_

Dressed in a snow white cloak, the 5' 5" figure of gentle eloquence looked out at the village surrounded by leaves. Her white hood fluttered freely in the wind as it continued to cover her facial features, as the cloak weighed her down with both its immense burdens and its soft texture. The scent was the same as well—a select musk had mixed with the mintiness and she found herself in heaven upon thinking about such a divine union. She took her left arm from out under the cloak. Her hand was wrapped in several bandages as a gauntlet with several buttoned straps kept it in place. She wore an elbow pad of 100 pounds and couldn't feel lighter. On her forearm were the intricate markings of a tattooed seal, one that would summon something if she smeared enough of her blood in a straight line across it. Her sight began to trace over her body next.

_This moisture coming to my eyes…I promised myself it wouldn't be a big deal…That it's something everyone feels once every now and then…That feeling of remembrance…Of your goals, your dreams, your desires, your loved ones…_

She wore a dark maroon body suit, which extended up to her lower thighs, sleeveless and with collar that seemed to cover her entire neck. Her right arm was the same as her left—bandaged, weighted elbow pad—but there was no gauntlet, and the bandage covered her entire forearm. Yet another detailed seal lay concealed beneath the bandages, which could bring out yet another summon if a decent amount of blood was applied. Her upper arms had only one thing in common: the word 'Kai' tattooed in blue and red on the right and left biceps respectively. She wore a pair of weighted knee pads, 150 pounds each, and her ninja sandals had been replaced by jet black boots. Inside her cloak, numerous scrolls were kept in its many pockets, along with a few kunai and shuriken. A kitana with a hilt that merged perfectly with its sheath was strapped to her left leg, while two mysterious scrolls remained attached to her right leg.

_That feeling…Of coming home. _

Hinata looked up from beneath her veil of white and smiled as her eyes took in the village and its ambience, one person at a time.

"I'm home, Konoha."

**Chapter 5: Memories**

Hinata walked up to the west gate of Konoha and stopped before the guard. He looked at her and asked for her name and her reason for coming into the village. Taking off her hood allowed her short indigo bangs to finally get some air, as a small feathery ponytail begun to flutter with ease. She had her eyes closed and then opened them suddenly, revealing the veins of the Byakugan, which appeared to had shrunken considerably.

"Hyuuga Hinata, Heiress to the Hyuuga Clan, Chuunin of the Leaf, reporting back after a successful training journey."

The guard in the green flak jacket nodded and opened the gate. As it loudly creaked open, Hinata suddenly felt a strong urge tugging at her, and just when he was about to give the customary welcome, she had already vanished. A medium-sized distance away, she opened her eyes and looked down from the Hokage Monument, as she stood next to the Godaime's head.

_Byakugan plus Flying Thundergod no Jutsu successful, _she said to herself triumphantly. She then felt the pang of the cloak that had still weighed her down and flinched with irritation. _I better not push it though…Walking with this is hard enough. _She then looked out over to the Hokage Tower, a place where she used to receive missions from Tsunade-sama. _First things first..._

Tsunade was sitting at her desk, signing and reading many documents that pertained to the maintenance and flourish of the village of Konoha. Trading offers from the Sand were at an all-time high and it was common to see their shinobi walking through the streets and entering to meet her. The Leaf was still at a bit of an impasse with the Cloud and the Rock villages but as of now, they had not publicly declared their intention of going to war with them. _Let them try, _she thought as she took off her reading glasses and poured a glass of sake. Her eyes then fell upon the pictures of all the previous Hokages before her. She sighed as she gazed at her grandfather and then at her sensei, the Sandaime Hokage. _This village won't back down. _She was about to sip her sake when she heard a commotion outside her door and sighed accordingly. The two ANBU posted outside her door never had it easy what with _certain _Chuunin and _special_ Jonin and a _distinguished _Sannin having heckled her in the past. She listened intently; waiting for the words, 'Flatchest' or 'Old Hag' but all she heard was the following.

"Hey little one, this is the Hokage's office and you can't go in without permission," said one of them, whom Tsunade recognized as being the one with the bird mask.

Silence.

"Please go to the lobby and then come back in a couple of days," said the second bear-masked ANBU. "Tsunade is busy at the moment."

Silence still.

"Er…I'm not sure you heard us…Any one, and I mean _any one, _who doesn't have an appointment or has not been summoned by the Hokage, is not allowed inside." The irritation in his voice was becoming painfully apparent. "Alright that's it. We'll have to escort you out of the— what the? Where in the—"

Tsunade blinked as she saw the figure in front of her. The door was wide open as the two ANBU continued to look around in shock, wondering where the white-caped figure had gone too. They then felt the breeze from the open door and looked inside. Tsunade was still sitting calmly, with her hands crossed as she kept her elbows on the table. The Sannin tried to look into the figure's eyes but all she met was darkness. A chuckle emanated from her mouth as she closed her eyes.

"Whoever you are, if you're here to cause trouble, you started at the wrong place," Tsunade said as she cracked her knuckles while smirking arrogantly. Her battle-lust had created an atmosphere of its own, but the figure still stood its ground. It didn't move its head up to get a better look at her. Instead, it took out a scroll and placed it on her desk. Tsunade looked at the scroll curiously and then at the note attached to it. She gasped upon opening the scroll and followed it all the way to the end where a note in pure white paper was attached. "Gomen ne, Tsunade-sama! Please don't hate me for what was a mistake…" The Godaime then looked up after she saw the last two words and found an innocent girl with blissful orbs looking at her with a shy smile on her face. "K-Konnichiwa…Hokage-sama," said Hinata as she bowed deeply with respect.

"Hinata-san…Is that—"

"I-I'm back. Was I missed?" She suddenly felt herself in a hug as Tsunade came out from behind her table to take the little girl in her arms. Tears were coming out from her eyes. _Huh?_

"What do you think cutie? You've changed so much…Look at you," Tsunade stepped back and looked at her from head-to-toe, "You've become a beautiful woman now, you know that? You must have been swamped by boys where ever you went," she concluded with a mischievous grin.

Hinata blushed upon hearing those words. She pressed both her index fingers together and reminisced about Sasuke. "H-Hai."

Tsunade was taken aback. _So, she admits it? But it looks like—_she then brought her hands upon Hinata's shoulders and smiled. "Your eyes say you met some one special."

"Hai…But…I didn't quite t-tell him…A-At least not clearly…I-It's complicated," she said at last, looking out the window dreamily.

"He must be nice. Where is he?"

Hinata froze as soon as she heard those words, and her mind went back to the memory of that fateful winter night more than a year ago.

_**1 Year and 4 Months Ago…**_

_Sasuke was looking into the camp-fire before him, his dead eyes oblivious to its flickering embers. He had deactivated his Mangekyou a while back and was seated next to Hinata, as he tried to recollect his painful memories. Hinata wanted to hold his hand to help him cope but he simply told her to listen to his story and then judge him thereafter._

"_It was about a month after you left Konoha, in April past. After that dope Naruto and his team came after us, Orochimaru, his accomplice Kabuto and I had decided to relocate to a less conspicuous place. He knew that Konoha would try to send some more teams to take me back so the Land of Sound, The Fire Country and The Wind Country, given their ties with Konoha, were strictly off-limits. On top of that, Akatsuki was beginning to circulate throughout the lands and news of them coming after the tailed beasts followed, thanks to the Sound's spies. So that made things all the more difficult for us. I won't lie to you Hinata—I went to Orochimaru for power, pure and simple. In exchange he wanted my body; he wanted to use a Kinjutsu that would allow him to take control of my body and the Sharingan. And…I was willing to give it to him…All for power…_

"_As I was saying, we made to travel to the Lightning Country and head to the Hidden Village of Cloud, under the guise of vagabonds, as Orochimaru felt that keeping a few bodies at hand was necessary for his sick experiments…We were on their way there when…I met him."_

"_Him?" Hinata was listening intently as she wondered just who Sasuke was referring to. His face tensed up and he gritted his teeth with anger._

"_The one who killed my clan…Killed my parents…That bastard, Uchiha Itachi…My brother…"_

_Hinata flinched upon hearing these words but Sasuke continued, unhindered by her reaction._

"_I ran from Konoha in order to gain power to kill my brother, to avenge the deaths of my clan. Even if I had to die, I knew that I had to do it._

"_I told Orochimaru to back off as I went for him myself. I did everything I could against him…I even activated the Cursed Seal that Orochimaru gave me to increase my powers but…" Sasuke stopped and clenched his fists tight._

"_H-He beat you?"_

_He looked at her eyes for the first time that entire night. "S-Ranked Ninjas have unbelievable power. That's why I ran to one myself. But yes…Our battle lasted for an hour as we both desperately tried to outdo each other. In some ways, it felt like old times for me…Being with my brother, matching his movements, showing off my skills…but it was a still a battle of life and death. Orochimaru watched it all with interest; it's not that he didn't want to fight but since he had commandeered a new body before I joined him about 2 and a half years ago, he had a limit to how long he could battle. And I can tell you that he didn't want to take on my brother, especially after he attempted to kill him back in the days when he himself was in Akatsuki. This big blue guy with the giant sword accompanying Itachi also did enough to make this a one-on-one fight between us. I tried to defeat him using my special technique, the Flapping Chidori, but he countered it with the Amaterasu."_

"_The…The what?"_

"_Amaterasu. The Mangekyou Sharingan is capable of generating not just the most deadly genjutsu in the world, Tsukuyomi, but also a number of black flames hotter than the sun, known as the Amaterasu. His attack stopped me dead center and that's when he did it to me…"_

"_D-Did what?"_

"_He cast the Tsukuyomi on me again…For the third time in my whole life. I tried to avoid it. I avoided his eyes throughout the entire match, but the negative effects of the Cursed Seal and the intensity of the match caused me to let my guard down for one millisecond. Next thing I know, I'm reliving my clan's deaths for 48 hours."_

_Hinata had discussed the Tsukuyomi with Sasuke on one other occasion when she was sure he would respond. This genjutsu apparently transported the user and his enemy to another world, where the enemy's mind and memories were used against him to torture him and drive him into a mental collapse. And the scary part was that the maximum duration of the jutsu, that is 72 hours in the person's mind, was little more than a few seconds in the real world. This was when the required chakra was utilized; any less and the number of hours one stayed in that other world also decreased. She shuddered and bade Sasuke to continue._

"_I had lost again. I thought I was strong, stronger than most, but I lost again. I went into a coma and if it weren't for Kabuto being a skilled medic-nin, the chances of my survival would have been nil. Turns out that after my fight, Orochimaru had summoned the boss snake, Manda, and made a run for it, with me and Kabuto in tow. That giant snake didn't like it but he obeyed Orochimaru after he was promised about 50 sacrifices for his services. When I finally awoke, he told me that I did better than he imagined against Itachi, and promised that when he took my body, he would show him true fear. The sick smile on his face told me something else though—that Orochimaru had a new twisted idea slithering through that head of his. But the question was: what?_

"_A few days later, he asked me to meet him at midnight in the open fields near the spot where we had camped, somewhere in the Cloud's territory, near the border. Kabuto hadn't been informed and so it was just me and him. When I asked what he wanted, he simply licked his lips, bit his thumbs and placed his palms on the ground, shouting. 'Kuchiyose: Impure World Resurrection'. This is another Kinjutsu, Hinata-san, and it enables its user to resurrect any one he wants by sacrificing a living person. Two coffins jutted out of the ground and opened up. The people inside them…the ones Orochimaru resurrected were…_

"_M-My parents."_

_He instantly felt her hand on top of his. Her eyes were wide. Her mouth was open but no sound came out. Sasuke grasped her hand tightly and continued._

"_As their bodies slowly reformed from the soil present, they came out of their coffins and looked at me. I was shocked beyond all imagination but on another level, I was happy. Happy to see the ones I loved the most. Their eyes fell upon me, and I could see them light up. They had begun to smile, as if they recognized me, and they started walking towards me. I forgot my brother and my revenge. I forgot my struggle for power. Nothing meant more than what was now in front of me…And then, Orochimaru placed those seals on them…Those special seals of his…That lets him control whoever he resurrects like their his puppets. The glow from my mother's and father's eyes disappeared. They now looked at me with nothing but cold indifference. And then Orochimaru ordered me to kill them…"_

"_What?!" Hinata shouted even louder than she herself thought capable but nonetheless, it reflected her appall at what she was hearing. "B-But w-why?" How sick is that man?_

_Sasuke choked a bit, but went on. "He wanted…the Mangekyou."_

_Hinata heard him but couldn't hold back her look of confusion. Sasuke acknowledged this and explained briefly._

"_The fulfillment for getting the Mangekyou, for any Uchiha, is to kill the person who is most precious to you…And in my case, it was my parents, the ones whom I swore to avenge…_

"_I yelled at Orochimaru for an explanation. He told me that the power of the Mangekyou was necessary in order to kill Itachi. He told me that his time in his current body was almost up and if he were to stand a chance against my brother in my body, than he would need the powers of the Tsukuyomi and the Amaterasu. I then tried to reason with him, telling him that those bodies he reincarnated would just keep regenerating until their souls were pulled out and so there was no way to kill them. Whatever he was trying to attempt would fail, I told him. He in turn told me that he would release the seals on my parents when I struck a fatal blow, so then they would vaporize without any complications. He was right…As long as I was killing them and they 'died', there would be no problems. I would gain power, more than what I could ever want. But deep down inside, I didn't want that power…It was a promise I made to myself and my parents that I wouldn't become like him…No…In that situation, no matter what the circumstances, I couldn't bring myself to kill my parents. I couldn't become the thing I hated the most. I had abandoned all feeling of attachment to my old team-mates in Konoha to ensure this._

"_I then pleaded with him, telling him that I didn't want to be like my brother. And if I hadn't still been recovering from my earlier battle with Itachi I would have at least put up some kind of resistance. That snake bastard saw that I wouldn't listen, so he commanded my parents to attack me. They obeyed him stoically. I was in another mental and physical battle, one that I hadn't prepared for. I tried to run away but he already had a barrier set up to prevent that. Orochimaru started to mock me, saying that if I wanted to beat Itachi so badly, I would have to forgo everything that was precious to me. This was made clear to me in the beginning of my training but…my parents…I…I didn't want to do it Hinata…He gave them a pair of kunai and told them to kill me…I-I…" Tears were now coming down Sasuke's face, as he began to break down. Hinata clenched his hand tighter and told him to continue. If not saying what happened next would help, she would have told him to stop; told him that it was enough and that she trusted him completely. But Hinata knew that this was something he had to share-- a sorrow he could no longer carry on his shoulders-- and she became steadfast in her resolve to accept whatever she was about to hear._

"_T-They came so close…I was beaten…ravaged…tired…crying…A-And my body just moved on its own…M-My sword just… Moved on its own…And then…And then….I heard his laughing….T-That bastard was congratulating me… But I couldn't hear him. Tears were clouding my eyes. And then I…I snapped…I started screaming…Pulling my hair out…I looked at Orochimaru with horrible intentions…With hatred…So much hatred…Next thing I knew…He was on the ground, writhing in pain, his face going into shock…And then…he stopped moving…Kabuto, who heard the commotion, came running and saw what happened…And then he looked me in the eyes…I had lost all control…I didn't know what from what….And…I killed him too…I…I…"_

_Sasuke was now sobbing in his hands. It was the first time in years that he had cried like this. Hinata also had tears running down her cheeks. She stood up and pressed his head against her stomach, as she grasped it with her hands, and then wept for him, for his family, for his clan, for his body, for his mind, his soul… There was nothing more that could be said. Sasuke was reaching desperately in the air for something and continued to do so even after she caught a hold of him. He soon grew coarse from all the sobbing and could do nothing else but wearily beg for sleep. Hinata led him to her tent and laid him down. She kept awake all throughout the night and rubbed Sasuke's hair when he started to cry in his sleep. _

"Hinata-san?"

Hinata blinked. She looked to Tsunade who had been standing there and watching her space out. _All those painful moments…In one instant…They just all came back…Is this what the Tsukuyomi feels like?_

"Are you alright, Hinata-san?"

"H-Hai! I'm just a little exhausted from all my traveling…That's all…"

Tsunade slapped her head. "Ah! How rude of me!" She then called for her faithful assistant, Shizune, who greeted Hinata with a playful pinch of her cheeks. Shizune returned after some time with tea as Tsunade offered for Hinata to sit and make herself comfortable. Hinata sipped her tea quietly, while Tsunade emptied a little sake into her cup before drinking it. She then looked over at Hinata. "So, tell me. How was your journey? Are you satisfied by the results?"

Hinata placed her cup down and folded her hands in her lap. "The training was very tough, but I think I've managed to increase all of my skills. And," she looked to the scroll still on the Hokage's table.

Tsunade smiled. "Have you mastered it?"

"No. Not yet. My concentration is still a bit off and I still use up too much chakra from it since there's no way I can create the seals needed to transport myself. So, I don't use it more than a few times in a day." Hinata returned to her tea cup and proceeded to drink what was left. _Her voice has changed too, _thought Tsunade. _Deep down, she's still that innocent adorable little girl but when it comes to business… _"Tsunade-sama, during my travels, I happened upon information regarding the Akatsuki. Tell me, are they still causing trouble?"

The busty Godaime was taken aback. "Y-You know about the Akatsuki? I hope you didn't encounter any of them on your trip." Hinata shook her head. "Well, that's a relief…We haven't received any word about what they are up to nowadays…After the defeat of two more of their members earlier this year, they've been silent. Their leader still eludes us…However, we are disturbed by developments in the far east, beyond the Hidden Village of the Mist. I don't know how to describe it… Some type of construction seems to be going on there. That may be the location of their headquarters for all we know."

"I-I see..." _So that narrows it down to five remaining members… _Hinata decided that it would be better to change the topic. "Oh! What about my friends and former class-mates? How are they doing?"

"Well…quite a few of them managed to make the Jonin rank, such as Tenten and Rock Lee. Sakura's the only Special Jonin while the remaining are still Chuunins but show exceptional abilities as compared to others. As for Naruto…" Tsunade looked at Hinata waiting for her trademark blush but it never came. _So you've come to forget about him. Whoever you found must be very special, Hinata-san. _

"Yes? What about Naruto-san?"

"Heh…That brat was made an ANBU just a couple of months ago…"

Hinata grinned widely. "T-That's amazing! I need to congratulate him!" _Naruto-san! You're only a few steps away from your dream, now! _"Demo…Tsunade-sama…About my Leaf headband…"

"You lost it? It got damaged? No matter. See Shizune on the way out and she'll give you the details on where to get a new one. Don't forget to report home as well."

"H-Hai! Oh…and…one last thing, Tsunade-sama." Hinata whispered a special favor in the Hokage's ear, to which she spat her tea out.

"W-W-What?! Are you serious?! And that too—"Tsunade was wiping her mouth upon hearing the little Hyuuga's request. The words 'impossible' and 'whack' began to circulate through her head.

"O-Onegai, Tsunade-sama," said Hinata as she batted her puppy-dog eyes insistently.

"…Alright…Alright….Fine…" Hinata mouthed a few grateful words of thanks before she proceeded to scurry out the door. When she left, Tsunade looked out of her office window. She caught sight of the young heiress tying on a new Leaf headband over her forehead before she replaced her hood and resumed her walk through the streets. _Hinata-san, just what happened on your training trip? _A knock then came at the door as Tsunade bade the person to enter. It was Shizune, and as she was picking up the tea cups, she conversed with her master.

"Hinata-san looks very different from before."

"Yeah. I wonder about that though…" Tsunade sat down and took out a bottle of sake which she proceeded to drink unabashedly.

Before Shizune left, she turned to face Tsunade. "You should tell her the truth soon, you know."

Tsunade smirked through the inebriation. "Shizune, if I had a ten Ryo note for every time I heard that, I wouldn't be a Hokage." She then looked at the portrait of the Sandaime on the wall. "All in good time."

Hinata's stomach grumbled timidly and she knew that her not eating enough on the way back was catching up to her. She looked around and saw the old Ichiraku Ramen stand in front of her. Ecstatic at seeing just how the old chef was doing and also at trying out a food she had slowly learned to enjoy when she was with Sasuke, she walked up, took a seat and ordered a bowl of ramen with pork strips and miso soup. And just as she began to quietly partake of the noodles did a familiar voice assault her ear-drums.

"Yo, old man!" The voice was boyish and yet it had the firm undercurrents of a beast's growl. Hinata passively activated her Byakugan and took a look about 180 degrees behind her. A lean teenager with a black leather jacket and red markings adorning both his cheek bones was approaching. He was leading a large white dog the size of bicycle towards the stand. Next to him was a teen with his hair covered by his hood and his mouth covered by a bluish-grey shirt that had been zipped up all the way to his neck. It was her old team-mates, Kiba and Shino. The large dog was none other than Akamaru. "We'll have two bowls of ramen with lots of chicken, and a slab of raw meat!"

"Arrf!"

Kiba looked at the dog and snapped his fingers. "Oh sorry! Old man! Make that slab of meat medium done, please!" Kiba and Shino took a seat just two stools away from Hinata. If not for her hood, they would have known it was her. The fact that she learned enough about smells to be able to conceal her own scent also meant that neither Dog Nin nor Nin Dog were going to be recognizing her any time soon. "Whooo! I am beat! Who woulda thought that A-Rank mission yesterday would have been so exhausting?"

"With teamwork, the burden is significantly lessened." Shino adjusted his dark shades as he continued in his signature monotone voice. "So, better teamwork gets you better results, not to mention builds your camaraderie."

"Yeah, yeah, I know!" The boys received their bowls and began to eat. Ayame came out from the side of the stand and gave a steak to a salivating Akamaru. The great white dog jumped up to her face and licked her with thanks before it began tearing into its lunch. "Ne, Shino…"

"Hn?"

"Remember those days we had as Team 8?"

Hinata stopped eating and applied chakra to her ears to hear their words better.

"Yes. Hinata-san was with us back then."

Kiba set down his chopsticks and looked up at the sky. "Hinata…Heh…I wish we could relive those days…I wish she was here right next to us…"

_That's got to be the brightest part of my day so far, _thought Hinata inwardly with a smile. She began to eat her food yet again.

"Do you still feel love for her?"

Hinata nearly choked on her noodles as she listened to Shino's question. With a slight pound on her chest, she managed to clear her throat.

"I don't know dude…Since that Chuunin exam…I really care for her a lot and I want to make her happy at all costs, but she likes Naruto and all…so…"

"True, but then," said Shino, as he deftly placed a small number of noodles in his mouth. "That was about two years ago, when we had last seen her…"

"Yeah…I still can't forget that beautiful long hair of hers…And that kind smile she always used to give us…Man, if only she would come back…I miss her so much…"

_Should I reveal myself? But then they'll know I was listening…And then what do I say? But I don't just want to quietly walk away from my friends and…Did Shino just say that Kiba loved me? This is…awkward. What do I do? _Hinata began to press her index finger together when she realized that she had finished her meal. She ordered another bowl and as she ate, began thinking about what to do. She didn't notice Nara Shikamaru approaching the stand along with Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino.

"Yo guys!" Kiba waved to them and asked them to join the two for lunch since it was his treat (A-Rank missions did pay a hefty amount after all). Ino and Sakura jumped with joy while Shikamaru simply smirked and thanked him languidly. The five of them moved over to an unoccupied table that was about 10 feet away from where Hinata had been sitting and began to talk energetically. The Hyuuga heiress, still having gone unnoticed by everyone, managed to catch several useful details from their banter: While Shikamaru was a Jonin now, Sakura had just been promoted to Special Jonin as Ino, Kiba and Shino still remained Chuunin. Also, it seemed that the festival honoring the bloom of the cherry blossom trees was coming up and Sakura and Ino, who still looked and dressed the same even after all this time, started to discuss what to wear and what they were going to spend the day doing. Hinata, almost finished with her second bowl, thought that for now, she should just go home and then she'd meet everyone tomorrow. _Somehow, it feels like I don't belong here. I'd probably just bore everyone, _she thought with a smile that reflected her exhaustion and less of her almost ancient low self-esteem.

"Yo, guys," said a very manly voice. Hinata used her Byakugan to see who it was and gasped in realization.

Uzumaki Naruto, now almost 6 feet tall, was approaching the table where the group was sitting. He still had that big wide grin that stretched those odd whiskers on his face (for which Hinata now knew as being a side-effect of him serving as the vessel for the once-dreaded Nine Tails Kyuubi) and showed off his pearly white teeth. But he had ditched his orange jumpsuits of the past and was now in blue trousers with a few holsters attached to it and a black sleeveless shirt. What really surprised Hinata was that he was also wearing a long white sleeveless coat with several intricate designs of fire on the back. His hair had grown out from when she left; it was covering his Leaf bandana now as it extended to just above his shoulders. Those blue eyes of his, once full of mischief and energy, now reflected a calm and happy look, though she still caught a glimpse of his iron will and charisma within them. All things considered though, from the pictures she had seen, it was amazing just how much he resembled the Yondaime Hokage.

Before Naruto sat down, however, he looked over at the stand, eyeing someone who was occupying his favorite seat. After closer observation, his eyes widened in surprise. He looked at his friends and spoke, "Hey guys, when did Hinata get back? And why is she sitting there by herself?"

The entire group went silent. Even Akamaru had stopped his meal upon hearing the blond's statement. Hinata was simply frozen now, and didn't know what to do.

"W-What did you just say?" The question had been posed by Shikamaru.

"Hinata," said Naruto, as he pointed at the cloaked figure at the stand. This caused Kiba to get up from his seat as he continued. "What? You can't see her pressing her index fingers together?"

Hinata yelped as she realized he was right. _Of all the things to identify me by…No use in hiding anymore…_Hinata got up from her seat and came before the group. They couldn't see her face properly until she removed her hood. Everyone then recoiled in shock—it really was her!

"K-K-Konnichiwa…M-Minna…I-I'm home," she said, without looking down even once. Her habit of stammering in front of others, especially during a tense situation, wasn't gone but at least now she could hold her head up proudly. She smiled innocently as she looked at them one by one. At first, there was nothing but silence, and one could only hear the buzz of the market nearby but Naruto broke the silence when he smiled, gave her a thumbs-up sign (though this one was more subtle) and winked coolly. "Welcome home, Hinata. We all missed you a lot."

"Ehhh?? T-That's really Hinata??" Ino got up from her seat and was now next to the young girl who was probably only a few centimeters shorter than her. What really surprised her was Hinata's hair. It gave off a certain warrior-like aura, the likes of which were unexpected from a Hyuuga. "Wow! You look so…so…"

"Different," said Shikamaru as he was sitting up with full attention. He caught sight of the various scrolls, utilities, items, bandages, pads, seals and weapons that adorned her body. "It seems you were really busy, Hinata-san." _Its amazing just how much tougher she's gotten…And the scary part is, I think she's hiding her true power, _thought the young Nara, since he knew that no one in their old class still had the chakra signatures of a Genin like she was now giving off. _How troublesome, _he said to himself with a smirk.

"Hai," she said meekly. Hinata was now being praised by Sakura, Ino and Naruto for her looks and her new clothes, but she still had her mind on the current situation. "Kiba-san, Shino-san…I missed you two…" The two boys glanced at each other momentarily, noting the absence of the 'kun' from their names but that wasn't all. Everyone now noticed that she was more comfortable around Naruto. She wasn't blushing red like her cheeks were on fire; she was congratulating him and began to talk about, of all things, his tactics in ANBU and his role; and she sure as hell hadn't expressed a desire to run away. _Could it be that…No, I shouldn't, but then…_Kiba thought to himself before getting up. Akamaru had finished his meat and was now jumping all over Hinata and licking her face; she giggled joyously as she petted him. The Dog Nin came up to her and stood nearly inches apart from her. He looked down on her lean body and silent pupiless eyes and smiled with a bit of a blush. "Welcome back, Hinata. I…I just wanted you to know that…I really missed you a lot, and I've been thinking about you ever since you left…And…"

"OOHH! Could my youthful eyes be deceiving me?? No, indeed it is true!" Hinata was confused by the sudden loud voice that was coming from above her, as everyone else simply shifted uncomfortably. Kiba clenched his fist and gritted his teeth in anger as if he was about ready to murder the guy whom the voice belonged to. A green spandex-wearing boy suddenly leaped down from a nearby building and Hinata smiled widely as she realized that it was…

"Lee-san!" Hinata greeted him with fondness. According to her, Rock Lee was one of the most hard-working people in the village, who's taijutsu ranked with some of the best and above all, he had a will and determination that could only be surpassed by the Former Number 1 Hyperactive Unpredictable Ninja in the village. Lee had changed quite a bit. Though he still wore that god-awful spandex suit, his hair was now much longer than before, though he maintained it by combing it back into a ponytail. He was about Naruto's height and was wearing the usual Jonin flak jacket and orange leg warmers on top of his outfit. He looked at Hinata with sadness for what seemed like a second, but it quickly vanished and he gave an outstretched thumbs-up as his teeth twinkled in the light.

"Hinata-san! Truly your journey has been nothing less than the likes of which only true legends have embarked on! I can feel your youthful joy streaming forth in a torrent of unbridled passion!! Hinata-san," said Lee, as he moved closer to her. He brought his hand up into a fist as he smiled firmly. "Will you give me the honor of a taijutsu match between two masters??"

"Now wait just a second Lee!" Sakura spoke out with anger. "Hinata just came back…Er, when did you get back?"

"A-An hour ago. "

"An hour ago!" Sakura continued making sure to stress on each word. "You can't just ask her to compete with you all of a sudden." The crowd of people agreed.

"I wouldn't mind."

Everyone looked at Hinata in surprise. _Her voice, _thought Naruto….

_It suddenly became strong …But is she serious about this, _thought Ino, at the same time.

"Yosh! Just as expected from a youthful hurricane of emotions such as yourself!! So long have I waited for a worthy challenger, so that we can engage in a titanic battle where pain is the next step to happiness!!"

Shikamaru tried desperately to hide his laughter. _He didn't say that when Naruto kicked him left and right a few weeks ago._

"Anno…D-Do you mind if I ask you for two favors?" Lee nodded furiously and inquired as to what they were. "Firstly, I don't want you to hold back on me." Lee nodded, though with a fair bit of surprise. "Secondly," she took out a cloth that had her family's seal on it. "I'd like to wear this on my eyes for the entire match. It's a special cloth that absorbs the chakra of the body part it's tied around, so this will effectively seal my Byakugan." Everyone was now more than a little surprised. She wanted to take on Lee in a no-holds barred taijutsu contest? And that too blindfolded?

Lee, though, felt tears fill his eyes as he looked up to the sky with clenched fists. "Hinata-san!! You're purity and youthful fire engulfs me in its raging cinders!! This will truly be a match to remember!!"

As the entire group began to walk towards one of the training grounds, whispering about what kind of fight to expect, Hinata began to think back to her physical training sessions with Sasuke.

_Her normal physical exercises had her punching and kicking ice at that time in place of wood, since the two had traveled to the land of Snow, but that didn't mean it was a piece of cake. The more she punched, the more she kicked, and for that matter, the more she simply stayed outside in the freezing cold, she felt the chill numbing her senses and feeling slowly. Sasuke bought her a new bodysuit at which was weighted just like the earlier one, but this one was different in that the chakra-opposing polarity of it was so strong that it even interfered with the passive chakra that was flowing through her veins. Since that was usually the way most shinobi stayed warm in such surroundings, by rhythmically passing small bursts of kinetic energy through their veins in the form of chakra, it made the difference between the weather being cool and being unbearable. Hinata was yet to gain full control over it during normal training and she simply cowered in fear whenever it was time for jutsu training and glacier climbing. Sure she had managed to scale an entire mountain before they left their old campsite a few weeks earlier, but now she had to circulate chakra to keep warm, release it in short bursts through her hands to climb, activate her Byakugan from time to time so the two could see through the frequent fogs and snowstorms…all while wearing a suit that would no sooner degrade in a mess of cotton fibers before it even attempted to cooperate with her? 'Insane,' she kept saying to herself at regular intervals. _

_Eventually, during one of their taijutsu sparring sessions, Lee's name popped up._

_The two were on a break, which was used to talk about the various shinobi types and how their methods of attack. "If someone challenges you to a match when you get back, you have the option of politely refusing. But if it's Lee, he just won't take 'no' for an answer. If you ever do get into a fight with him, it'll be mainly taijutsu oriented." Sasuke then turned around to face his partner. She gasped and then looked away, adding to the red that had already accumulated on her cheeks due to the cold. It seemed that ever since Hinata realized that there was a face to the boy she had been training with this whole time, her shyness had reawakened, harking back to the time when she was only a Genin. At least she had no reservations when it came to obeying him._

"_And by the way, just how you can manage to divert chakra to warm your cheeks like that when you have trouble doing the same for your entire body is something I think you should study," he said sarcastically, trying to lighten the mood. "It will no doubt help with your training. Any way, when you meet Lee in battle, just make sure you use 'that' on him." Sasuke then snickered evilly, and muttered something about payback when they resumed their sparring._

The scenery was instantly familiar to her eyes—it was the same Genin training ground that her cousin Neji used to be at during his time with Team Gai. He used to spar with Lee many times (due to an unwanted rivalry) and also managed to perfect his defenses with the Weapon Mistress Tenten's help. Hinata saw the lake in front of her. She was about to suggest that they fight on the lake since not only would it be another few steps in increasing her chakra capacity, but the damage would be reduced somewhat if they fell in the water then if they fell on solid earth, but then, she remembered how Lee was unable to use chakra and forgot her idea. As the green beast of Konoha stood before her with his right palm in front, facing towards him, and his left palm behind his back, Hinata tied the blindfold around her eyes and assumed an unfamiliar, somewhat kick-boxing style, stance, where her left arm was stretched out in front of her with a tight fist, and her right arm was bent back and situated close to her face. At first she and Lee began to slowly shift their stances, almost moving in a circular motion adjacent to each other—Lee slowly scrapped his feet along the ground, as Hinata simple shifted her footing with a stomp as she changed the foot and the arm placed in front of her in accordance to Lee's movement. Naruto and Sakura took the high ground and were watching the action unfold from the treetops. Kiba and Shino stayed alert, ready to save her if things got too rough, whereas Ino and Shikamaru simply stood watch next to them.

Suddenly, Lee charged towards Hinata, still keeping his left hand behind his back. He then proceeded to punch Hinata with his concealed hand, but Hinata simply sidestepped it. Lee than followed up with a few kicks to her sides which she blocked using her knees, as she kept her hands up to block the onslaught of forearms aimed at her head. Avoiding a fast sweep kick, Hinata leaped into the air, but Lee had it scouted out and launched a high kick to her jaw, no doubt setting up for the Initial Lotus attack, but she somehow grabbed his foot before it made contact and used the momentum to catapult herself, with only one hand, backwards as she landed with a swanlike-grace in her feet.

"_H-How," said Hinata panting for breath on her knees as she had just taken another one of Sasuke's hits blindfolded. "Y-You're just too…f-fast…"_

"_Don't sense the air-currents being ripped through as an opponent's attack comes at you. Sense the ones that have already been cut, the ones behind the attack so to speak. Calculating the relative length of the appendage being used to attack, you'll be able to ascertain the distance of the attack from your body along with where it's being aimed."_

"_D-Demo…How…will I know what my opponent is using to attack?"_

"_Punches simply go through the air; feet make scraping sounds and disrupt ground currents when a kick is made; headbutts rip through a large width of air; and so on. Try to listen for the muscles and bones of the body as they tense up as well. Every bone makes a different sound when it's being stressed."_

_Arigatou, Sasuke-kun, _thought Hinata as she resumed her stance. Lee was already coming through the air at Hinata…it wasn't possible to dodge it… and she heard his attack.

"Konoha Whirlwind!!" The mid-air round-house kick was ready to connect, but Hinata got her cloak up and as it hit, she skidded back a few feet but was still standing. She managed to negate the brunt of the attack using the weights in her cloak as a shield.

Lee jumped back and looked at her, as he shook up his leg a bit. "Oh-ho, Hinata-san! You've also begun to use weighted clothing!! It seems to be an intricately knit web of iron!! Please, remove it so that I may fight you at your full power!!" He then gave the thumbs-up as his teeth shined yet again.

"N-No," said Hinata, as Lee dropped to the ground with embarrassment.

"No matter!! Come, oh graceful lily of Hyuuga!"

Hinata nodded and suddenly appeared in front of Lee. _Fast, _though Lee as he jumped up to dodge her thrust-kick just in the nick of time.

_Now! _Hinata suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Lee gasped as he saw her disappear. _Leaf Shadow Dance?! No, this is—_He then felt a strange bandage being wrapped around him from behind. His mouth flew open with awe as the smoke cleared. The bandages on Hinata's right arm had been removed and were now wrapped around Lee's upper body, immobilizing his arms and movement.

_Gomen ne, Sasuke-kun…But I don't want to hurt Lee-san with 'that' combo…_

Hinata grabbed Lee's bound right arm and spun him towards her waiting kick. She then tugged on the bandage with her right arm, causing him to spin to the left but as her left knee connected with his side, her left forearm immediately smashed into his face. He cried with pain as blood began to drip from his nose, the crimson vapors not lost on Hinata's keen scent. She then thrust her palm into his back and shouted.

"Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm!"

A strong push of chakra, as hard as a brick wall, assaulted Lee's back. His weighted vest took some of the damage but his lower back was stinging with pain. Lee immediately sailed skyward but was stopped by the length of the bandage; Hinata tugged once more at them and, sensing the rush of air coming from his falling body, planted a back-handed punch into his face with her left arm to accelerate the speed at which he fell. Her hold was then released on the bandages and they unraveled quickly with a spiral motion, rotating Lee's body like a top. Upon hitting the ground face first, he struggled with pain as he spat out copious amounts of sand, but he immediately felt a blunt strike on his lower back, like a metal club had just smashed his spine. Hinata had fallen on Lee's back with an elbow drop using her weighted pad.

"Initial Wolf Combo!!" She shouted the words as Lee screamed in pain and then returned to her feet, as she wrapped her bandage up with one swift motion. She then took her stance again, knowing that the fight isn't over until your enemy is either dead, unconscious or has given up. And Lee didn't fit into any of those categories. He slowly climbed to his feet as he looked at Hinata with wide eyes. However, he soon began to smile.

"It seems I shouldn't have held back on you, Hinata-san. Very well!" Lee thrust his hands out as he was enveloped in a gentle white flame. "Rest Gate! Kai!" Lee's posture rigidly straightened up and the blood flowing from his wounds stopped as he wiped them off. The bruise on his left cheek also disappeared. Lee then took off his jacket and a copious amount of dust was kicked up as it fell to the ground; he then proceeded to do the same for the weights concealed by his leg-warmers. Hinata still remained steady in her fighting poise. "And now, for the final ingredient!!" He then took out a white flask which caused everyone to panic. Kiba and the others on the ground had already moved about 30 feet back, as they screamed for Hinata to take off her blindfold and run for cover. Naruto stood his ground along with Sakura and they both leaped down from their spectator spots simultaneously, just as Lee took a swig from the flask in his hands. His movements became jerky as he weaved back and forth with aimless liberty.

"Lesh do dis," said Rock Lee as he assumed his Drunken Fist stance.

"You go for his arms," said Sakura as she fitted her black leather gloves. "I'll get his legs."

"Yeah. Man, thick brows chooses today of all days," said Naruto as he wore his fingerless blue gloves.

"I'll be fine," said Hinata as she held her hand up to indicate for the two to not interfere. Hinata then removed her blindfold and looked at the drunken Lee with determination. "Just make sure you tell everyone to cover their eyes."

Naruto and Sakura looked at each for a second but then decided to back off upon seeing Hinata unwilling to relent. She then began to make a few handseals with her eyes closed. Lee rushed at her with blinding speed but not before he caught the fierce look in her eyes as he missed the words that she uttered. The space around Lee suddenly began to fill with darkness as he lost all bearings of Hinata. Lee swung wildly but felt his attacks hit nothing but air as he cursed repeatedly. Meanwhile, Hinata watched from a tree just behind the furious martial artiste. "Ninpo: Bringer of Darkness no Jutsu," she said calmly. Everyone opened their eyes after she told them to and watched as Lee kicked and punched at the air. They looked at Hinata as she gave an innocent smile. "I didn't want to hurt Lee-san anymore," she said. As she turned her gaze back to Lee, a voice suddenly called out, somewhat like Lee had done earlier.

"Dynamic Entry!" A rapid figure also dressed in green spandex kicked Lee square in the face when he least expected it. Hinata watched with shock as she saw Lee awaken from his drunken stupor.

"Lee! How many times have I told you not to drink unless there are many enemies present?! Baka!!"

"Gomen ne Gai-sensei!! I…I committed a horrible taboo!!"

The hulking figure of Maito Gai had tears in his eyes as he smiled with joy. "Oh Lee! You are still young! Mistakes will happen! But you're grace in admitting them is what counts! Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

Hinata looked on curiously, tilting her head to one side, as Lee and Gai embraced to the backdrop of a (conveniently placed) sunset and crashing waves. Everyone else simply gawked at the absurdity of the scene.

"He…He won't grow out of that will he," said Sakura, her left eyebrow twitching with irritation.

"Kill me," said Ino, with disgust.

Gai then walked up to Hinata, who had leaped down from the branch she was sitting on. "I'm sorry, O benevolent pride of the holiest of angels! Lee still has much to learn about holding back!!"

Hinata simply looked up at Gai-sensei with a shy smile. "K-K-Konnichiwa, Gai-sensei…It's been a-a very long time…"

Gai's super-thick eyebrows suddenly shot up as he looked deep into Hinata's white eyes. He then screamed out with surprise. "YOU! IT CAN'T BE!! YOU'RE--"

The shinobi present, Lee included, perked their ears to listen to Gai's proclamation.

"SOMEONE I REMEMBER!"

The gathering collapsed upon witnessing their sensei's stupidity.

Lee walked next to Gai and spoke. "No, sensei! It is the tigress lily of the Hyuuga clan, Hyuuga Hinata!"

Gai's volume toned down by several notches. He then looked at Hinata with a mixed expression of sadness and surrender, but the emotion quickly vanished as he gave the thumbs-up and his teeth sparkled with all their might. "Yosh! It is indeed the heiress to the talented Hyuuga! You have returned from your journey many a times stronger!"

"A-Arigatou, Gai-sensei. I was actually on my way back home to see my father and Neji-Nii-san…"

The gathering was silent for a moment until Gai spoke again. "Alas my young angel! Your entire clan has left the town on a pilgrimage. They will return after a week or two."

"Nani?! B-But…I-I-I…"

"No worries," said Gai, as crossed his arms coolly. "I'm sure one of the girls here will be more than willing to take you in! Right girls?!"

"Er…I don't have any extra rooms," said Sakura nervously.

"My parents are sick right now…I don't think we can handle a guest at the moment, with me having to also run the flower shop along with taking care of them," said Ino plainly.

Gai then looked to the boys who began to hold their hands up in defense. If her family found out that she had slept in the same house as a male who wasn't her relative, they would have skinned him alive. Hinata sighed with resignation, wondering if she could break in somehow and explain it to her father later. The barrier the Hyuuga set up for these purposes was going to be tough to handle though.

"She can stay with me," a female voice called out. Hinata looked behind her to see a young woman with her hair tied in two buns on top of her head, as a few strains fell on her face. Her amber eyes complemented her dimpled smile and tiny nose. Her Chinese clothing, consisting of a white robe-like shirt and a pair of red slacks, made her stand out in the entire village, and she was carrying a variety of weapons and scrolls as she gracefully walked over to Hinata and planted a small white rose in her hair. "Welcome back, Hinata-chan."

"Tenten-chan…" Hinata immediately jumped into her arms and embraced her tightly. If there was anyone who would offer to train with her, anyone who would listen to her problems, any one she could count on when she was in trouble, it was Tenten.

"Tenten," said Gai with seriousness apparent in his voice, "Are you sure?"

Tenten nodded and then gave a cheeky smile. "Being an orphan has its advantages, sensei. Come on Hinata-chan." Tenten took her hand eagerly and the two proceeded to leave the field and head back towards the town. Slowly and slowly, all the shinobi began to file out, each stating important business to be done. Finally, only Naruto and Sakura were left.

"She's definitely become more powerful. Never seen any kunoichi give that kind of beat-down to Lee. I'd say she's on the level of an ANBU captain now," said Naruto unequivocally. _And that combo she used…Interesting._

"Yeah. But…You saw it too, didn't you?"

"Sasuke's sword? Yeah. I'd recognize it anywhere." Naruto then crossed his arms and pouted. "He's alive it seems."

Sakura began to leave, saying, "I have to report this to Tsunade-sama. I just hope that she doesn't find out the truth on her own…It is that time again."

"Yeah." He waited until she was out of sight until he turned to face the crisp, blue crystal lake in front of him. _Sasuke…After all that's happened, why won't you come back even now?_ Naruto then proceeded to make a few seals seconds before he disappeared with a yellow flash of light.

Tenten's house was a thing of beauty. Despite the fact that she was a Jonin, she still had time to keep her house in perfect condition. As Hinata walked into the living room, she was admired the glass vase filled with yellow sunflowers; the sofa was of a good make and came with an appealing set of chairs and a coffee table. The rooms upstairs were even better—Tenten led Hinata into the guest room and offered to hang her cloak, until she told her the long-term consequences it would have on her closet's floor if she did such a thing. Borrowing a few of Tenten's clothes, Hinata began to remove her cloak and place it on the window sill VERY carefully. She also removed her elbow and knee pads and eventually her maroon suit, as she changed into a simple long white T-shirt and blue shorts that she had been given. She looked upon her arms and the bandages wrapping them. She removed the bandages and the gauntlet, and decided to have a chat with her housemate before she took some much needed rest. As Tenten sat in the living room, wearing a simple sleeveless top and black pajamas, she looked at Hinata from head to toe.

"Wow, and I thought Tsunade-sama was a goddess," she said slyly.

Hinata giggled, showcasing a faint blush, before she sat down next to Tenten. "Thank you for this…I really appreciate it…"

"Don't mention it," she said, as she proceeded to wrap her arms around the pale Hyuuga mistress. "I missed you a lot you know."

"Hai…Oh, Tenten-chan, how's Neji-Nii-san nowadays? Has he grown taller?"

Tenten looked at Hinata for a while before she reclined back dreamily. "Yeah. He has. Hinata-chan…I wish you could meet him," she said, as she bit her lip. "Oh, I almost forgot! How was your journey? Did you encounter any one special? See any exciting places?"

Hinata nodded, and began to tell her the tale of the mysterious man, named Raven, who stayed with her the whole time and helped her to become stronger, on top of teaching her the importance of confidence, slugging through all those exercises with her, and of course, buying her that expensive maroon outfit, the third such suit she received from him, just before they left the land of Snow. Hinata revealed to her that it was actually a very high grade of chakra armor, made of a material that could negate most genjutsu and ninjutsu. She also revealed the secrets of the two tattoos on her forearms (but not of the ones on her upper arms) and promised to showcase them soon enough. Tenten was fascinated by her travels and yet at the same time, saddened by the veil that everyone was pulling over her eyes.

Later on, when it was nearly midnight, Hinata got up (since sleeping all day in the noon meant she was fully revitalized) and decided to take a walk around the town. She walked by the Ichiraku which was surprisingly open; from there, she managed to see a single light on in the Hokage's tower, obviously indicating that Tsunade was still awake signing documents. When she activated her Byakugan, Hinata was surprised to see the Godaime sleeping amongst a mess of papers as Shizune tried desperately to shake her awake. Just as she was ready to continue her walk, preferably towards the Hokage monument, she heard a soft spoken voice call out to her.

"Yo, Hinata!" It was Naruto, dressed in his ANBU gear, with a fox mask on his head. He had a bowl of ramen in front of him as he waved for Hinata to join him. Hinata simply smiled and sat next to the blond. He at first offered to buy her dinner but she politely refused, stating that she had her fill of food just before she left Tenten's home. "So, what brings you out at this time of night?"

Hinata placed her chin on her upright elbows as she looked at him casually. "I was wondering the same for you, Naruto-san."

"Ah," Naruto said, grinning widely. "I was just ready to relinquish my shift for the night. I thought I'd get some food before I hit the sack." Hinata smiled as she looked forward, still admiring how much Naruto had grown.

"Hinata…"

"Nani?" She looked at him with a small smile as before.

"After you left…And after we defeated those two guys responsible for killing Asuma-sensei…I tried to retrieve Sasuke yet again…But…it seemed that he disappeared…And not just that, but it seems that he abandoned Orochimaru as well." Naruto was careful not to give out too much information, not realizing that she had already known the full story, and then some. Nevertheless, she felt she should question him to avoid any suspicion.

"H-He…just disappeared? Poor Sasuke-ku—er….san…" She nearly blurted out her suffix for him that she originally kept for Naruto. That is, before she took more of liking to the dark-haired Uchiha.

Naruto pretended to ignore her mistake and continued. "Yeah. But not to worry! I still haven't given up on looking for him!" Naruto finished his meal and looked up at the moon that was shining bright. "No matter how much we change, or how far apart we are, I will find him. I won't go back on my promise to Sakura, no matter what…"

"Because that's your nindo," said Hinata calmly. It was amazing how much Naruto had changed from being a loud-mouth, unhygienic, clumsy ninja into a calm, composed gentlemen, but if one thing still remained that connected him to his old self, it was his way of the ninja; his goal to never take back his words, and to become the greatest Hokage that Konoha had ever seen. Naruto then looked at Hinata again. "I still miss Asuma-sensei, you know. May be I'm just some softie, and I didn't really know him that well, but he did offer me help in my Wind elemental training. Those Akatsuki guys…I wonder what they're gonna do now…"

Hinata got up and stood next to his side, marveling at the full moon that was out tonight. _I must remember to let Soma and the others out for a walk later on, _she thought. "Naruto-san, you're aligned to the Wind element?"

"Heh…Yeah. I have some proficiency in Earth as well; like most Jonins, I have 2 elements, but the one I'm most skilled at is Wind. How bout you, Hinata? Did you discover your elemental types on your training journey?"

"Yes," said Hinata, as she smiled. "Actually, I did."

"_Sasuke-kun, what's that?"_

"_This," he said, holding a few small pieces of brown paper, "Is a chakra slip. It responds to your inherent elemental affinities. All you have to do is pour a little bit of chakra into it. I'll be able to tell you the results based on what I see."_

_It had already been one year since Hinata had left the village in her attempt to become stronger. Almost all her jutsu were perfect now, and she had managed perfect control, even with that horrible suit on (which was currently at 400 pounds). The two shinobi left the Land of Snow and had traveled to the Earth Country, where Hinata began to perform her physical exercises on solid granite, which was a good many times stronger than any block of ice she had to deal with. Also, a mysterious mountain by the name of Hige became her new chakra control and chakra increasing exercise. This mountain was different from most in that it was situated within a deep canyon, and was hotter than most other such structures. Her new goal was to scale this mountain once using only her fingertips (enhanced with chakra of course). This was much more different than her glacier climbing exercises—rather than circulating chakra throughout her body to keep warm, she had to circulate the same through her body in order to keep cool. It was easier than it sounded; the only way the human body could cool itself was through sweating, so Hinata had to balance her chakra in such a way that she would constantly remain cool without losing too much water in her body. The heat of the mountain also had chakra dispelling properties attached to it, making the task of scaling it even tougher. _

_Fortunately, her jutsu and weapon training were progressing excellently. With all the techniques now learned (except of course for the Intense Pain no Jutsu), Hinata was now beginning to perform them without seals and the higher level ones she practiced using one handed seals. Her version of the Flying Thundergod no Jutsu was still being perfected though, as she either had trouble projecting a stable line of chakra or transporting a very far distance while maintaining it. Nevertheless, she was still satisfied—the number of scrolls the two had with them was now finished, and they had taken a trip to the Land of Sound before entering the Earth Country in order to procure more than 40 scrolls from Orochimaru's old hideout. It was there that Hinata also obtained her first summoning contract, and with Sasuke's help, her first summoning tattoo. On top of that, Sasuke was training in the use of other weapons other than the Tsumugari, and once claimed that he knew the secret to the Divine Valkyrie no Jutsu and was going to help Hinata resolve very soon. _

_For now, Hinata did as she was told and concentrated her chakra into the paper. When she opened her eyes, she saw the paper turning to ash, but she just as quickly released her hold on it when she felt a stinging sensation. Hinata winced from the pain and looked at the black mass of dust curiously. "W-What just—"_

_Sasuke, also curious by the spectacle, bent down and touched the burnt paper slightly. He withdrew his hand quickly, as if he too felt the same pain that Hinata did. "Okay…Basically," Sasuke said, as he took a deep breath, "You have two elements aligned to you equally. You want the good news or the bad news?"_

_Two elements? Hinata contained her happiness and thought for a second. "The good news."_

"_Okay, the good news is, one of your elements is Lightning."_

_That explains quite a bit, thought Hinata. I never had any problems with the Lightning-based jutsus, and on top of that, they always felt stronger as compared to all my other elemental jutsu. "What's the bad news?"_

_Sasuke smirked as a drop of sweat fell down the side of his head. "Your second element is Fire…Hinata, I know that…Wait, don't…Oh, perfect…" Hinata had just fainted again. "I really need to fix whatever is I'm doing wrong when it comes to these kind of things," he said as he lifted Hinata up with ease and proceeded back to their campsite. Fire and Lightning though…It seems I'll be able to teach her those two jutsus after all, he said to himself, as the full moon shined down from the star-laden sky._

"Hinata?" Tenten called out to her housemate but there was no answer. Upon entering her room, she found the window open with the cloak on the sill and her maroon chakra-armor suit on the bed. _She must have gone for a walk, _thought Tenten. Her eyes then fell upon the maroon suit, as she picked it up and looked at the design on the back. It was a yin-yang symbol, but the colors weren't black and white. The 'yin' portion was red, with the small circle inside of it being white, while the 'yang' portion was blue, its small enclosed circle being black in color. _What an odd design…Wonder what it stands for…_

Meanwhile, a far distance away, inside a large cave somewhere in the Land of Sound, a young man, with long black hair and two long bangs of it coming down in front of his face, was standing amongst a circle containing many intricate seals, nearly a hundred in number. The seals had been painted in blood that had been mixed with some sort of translucent, greenish-red liquid. The man, who had a strange Yin-Yang symbol on the back of his white robe, and a red and white fan symbol on the left side of it in the front, had then made a few seals and slammed his fists into the ground. The pain was immense as the numerous seals all began to inch closer and closer to his body, eventually creeping up his forearm and wrapping themselves intricately in a web of crimson. The man screamed out one final bellow of agony before the seal on his right forearm had dried up and become black in color. He got back up to his feet, bit his thumb and proceeded to smear it on his newly acquired tattoo. He then slammed his palm into the ground, yelling the words, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

A large amount of smoke filled the dark coliseum that Uchiha Sasuke was standing in. He remembered the place perfectly; it was the very same arena where Orochimaru had trained him, and was a part of his many secret hideouts throughout the Land of Sound. Sasuke remembered returning here nearly a year and a half ago, when he instructed Hinata to take at least twenty scrolls with her while he would also take 20 distinct scrolls to learn. This was a strategy more beneficial to Sasuke then Hinata in several ways. But then since he always coughed up a large amount of his Uchiha inheritance to pay for the supplies and suits for Hinata for the past year and a half, he felt it was a meager payback.

_It's a good thing Orochimaru still had those experimental vials of chakra fluid lying around. _In an attempt to discover a way to permanently increase one's chakra capacity, Orochimaru used the blood of several shinobi to create a chakra elixir. It was unstable until he added snake venom to it, but ingesting large quantities of it would lead to bad side-effects for him, and for humans, only a little bit would mean death. That didn't prevent him from finding a way to create chakra tattoos, special designs that housed a preset amount of chakra that could be called out any time upon using a small quantity of blood. Even better was that no matter how much chakra was contained in the tattoo, it would take only a day to recharge upon using it once. Using the same method that he was applying on himself just now, he had assisted Hinata in obtaining a trump card in her summoning contract.

As the smoke began to clear, Sasuke looked up to meet the new creature who he had just forged a summoning contract with. Its long body made several loops around the room; it's red, orange and black scales reflecting what little light had been present. Its whiskers were two in number and elongated as they nearly reached the ground, and its arms and legs were simply attached to the sides of its coiled structure.

"Saiyruu, the Serpent Lord," said Sasuke, as he looked the enormous serpent in its pupiless golden eyes.

"**Who has summoned me?" **The serpent's voice was deep yet gentle as it looked down upon the ant-like figure of Sasuke. **"You are not Orochimaru it seems."**

Sasuke then brandished the Kusanagi no Tsurugi as its bronze-sword shaped figure was held high. "Orochimaru, who took an allegiance with your younger brother Manda, has died by my hand. The legendary Kusanagi that I hold in my hands is proof of my victory. Saiyruu-sama, I wish to gain your support to add to my power."

Saiyruu looked down upon the young Uchiha for a while before he closed his eyes. **"Young man, I am afraid that you are not qualified to summon me. You have power but you lack honour. You have fire in your soul but you lack direction of the heart--"**

The serpent stopped in its tracks when it felt the full power of the Sharingan burning into its very nerves. **_An Uchiha…Interesting…_**

"My heart has direction now. It has decided upon a new path, one that will end in my martyrdom and not in my destruction. But as much as I may brag about how I think I'm doing some good, the fact remains that I'm only doing this for one reason."

"**And that is?"**

Sasuke's eyes returned to normal as he gazed at Saiyruu furtively. "I have a precious person to protect. I have someone-- a friend, a partner, a girl--who is worth dying for. I will do anything I can in order to protect her. She…She is the one who showed me that…It's alright to live my life the way I want. Even if I have to fight you to prove my seriousness, I shall." Sasuke then swung the Kusanagi out to be by his side, as he waited to hear Saiyruu's response.

"**Uchihas…They are indeed fascinating humans…Known for their rage, their lies, their lust for power…But one thing has been said about your clan…Is that you are always willing to die for the one you love…**

"**When you're blood begins to boil," **said Saiyruu with a smile, which revealed the multitude of fangs in his mouth. He proceeded to scrape his tongue against one of them, and it drew a small trickle of blood. The giant serpent then pressed the tip of its tongue onto the space next to Sasuke's name. Minutes later, he had dissipated, after leaving his signature on the summoning contract. Sasuke rolled up the large tapestry like scroll and began to leave the cave, his mission being complete.

_I will protect her no matter what. Itachi…No, Akatsuki… Whatever you are planning matters not to me. But as long as her memory is with me…As long as her voice is still in mind…As long as I can remember her smile…I will stop you. I will crush every last one of you, using any and every means necessary. Hinata, thank you for the time you spent with me. I will take it to my grave with a smile. I won't let anything happen to you...I won't hold back…Because anything less…_

…_Would be an insult to Neji's death…_

**

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**Author's Notes: **Wow, isn't this just dandy? I managed to clock in almost 13,000 thousand words with this chapter. Well, you can just think of this as my way of making up for the lack of chapters, since I only updated once last week, as opposed to three times the week before. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. After a few comments that Hinata and Sasuke seemed a tad out of character, I managed to spruce some things up, as well as showcase how the characters have matured over the two year gap. What really surprised me was how people thought that Sasuke killed Naruto to gain the Mangekyou! No, sorry. Since Sasuke no longer carries any attachment to his former Konoha friends, he would gain nothing by killing them, other than some way of relieving his boredom (and taking out his anger). Hinata however, is special, as is quite obvious. Also, the two month gap between when Sasuke gained the Mangekyou and when he found Hinata will be explained in the next chapter, as well as all the other things that I'm sure you guys want answered (Eshtar is really gonna be pissed, I know that). Any other questions you guys may have, along with criticisms, insults, compliments, complaints, hugs, kisses and death-threats, are more than welcome (hey, I like the variety), so R&R.

**Sannin versus Hyuuga! The Death of A Loved One! Defeat Akatsuki! Next! Chapter 6: Moments!**


	7. Chapter 6: Moments

**My Eyes**

By Shiranui the Brave

**Author's Notes: Thanks to everyone for their reviews! We're almost at 5000 hits! Thanks a lot!**

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****Chapter 6: Moments**

"This is a Code Red! I repeat! This is a Code Red!" The frantic operator's voice resonated throughout the building as several Jounin, Chuunin and even Genin swarmed the hallways, their black and red robes fluttering in the skirmish. "Intruder had been spotted outside at the main entrance! He has currently eliminated three platoons of ANBU! Extreme caution is advised! I repeat! Approach the intruder with extreme—"The voice was suddenly cut short after a large rumble echoed the interiors, as the power went out in the entire building. The emergency lights came on, giving the droves of shinobi a distinct red silhouette as the rushed to meet their enemy, who would now be standing in the Centersquare, a courtyard surrounded by numerous greeneries, boulders and marble structures, its size almost arena-like. Though located inside a cave, a skylight, made of a high density quartz glass that absorbed the harmful UV rays during the daytime, enabled the pale white light of the moon to seep inside, immersing the enormous battleground in an eerie aura of darkness.

_So…this is what an Akatsuki Ninja Reserve looks like._

Uchiha Sasuke drove his newly-owned Kusanagi into the ground and crouched into a squatting position as he waited for the main forces to get to him. _The gardens and monuments are simply awe-inspiring; they must have alluded to some culture outside of the Land of the Five Villages…Is this meant to function as some sort of recreation center or are they just trying to duplicate an ideal surrounding to expose their puppets too? _Sasuke remembered those days when he had been with Orochimaru. The snake Sannin kept numerous prisoners within his hideouts, and they were more often then not the subject of ruthless experiments. Some were also kept to function as replacement bodies for Orochimaru whenever his three year limit had ended, but aside form the Sound's Four and Kimmirut, they were hardly treated any better. Orochimaru, to prevent any of his vital 'subjects' from going totally insane, had a paradise-like setting within his hideout, which he would let his prisoners loose in every once in a while. This served to rejuvenate their spirits and gave them the impression that, now no longer shinobi, they were being rewarded by their 'master' for being such obedient 'subordinates'. _Sick, _thought Sasuke, as he raised his head and shifted his weight on to one knee, clutching the bronze-sword tightly in readiness for a new set of targets.

The doors in front of Sasuke opened; they were soon followed by the several openings to his left and right. Trapdoors opened in the floor as several Akatsuki shinobi emerged from them. About 20 ninjas surrounded the dark haired boy, as they made seals for a various elemental jutsus, stopping at the last one before they unleashed their respective attacks. More than a 200 additional ninjas surrounded the circle and its inner occupant, brandishing swords, axes, kunai, shuriken, staffs and bows geared up with several arrows ready to go off at once. Sasuke slowly got to his feet, making sure to conceal his face with the long strands of hair that feel in the front. His hair had grown longer than before, but instead of tying it, the teenage Uchiha had decided to leave it open. He was wearing an azure blue weighted sleeveless underneath his blemishless white robe. A layer of tights, that had also been weighted, lay concealed underneath his black slacks. More than just being a way to train as he went about his daily tasks, without having to waste any precious time, the two articles of clothing also provided a formidable defense against ranged weapons. He clutched the Kusanagi in his left hand without pulling it out of the ground. _Is it done? Should be…_

"This is a warm reception," said Sasuke, letting his emotionless voice betray the anger in his heart. "Where's the food? Or am I at the wrong party?" At first, Sasuke was mocking the 12 ANBU he had encountered outside for truly being nothing more than pawns on Akatsuki's shogi board, their mere existence within the reserve just being a way that Akatsuki could be proud of itself , but dep down, he felt ashamed at this statement. The shinobi present here were merely individuals who had given up on the world, either by choice or by special circumstances, be it an inability to end the suffering around them or simply because they just happened to possess the unique genes and traits that Akatsuki found valuable. In essence, they were no different from what he used to be like two years ago, before he met Hinata. But Sasuke had changed since then. He was no longer proud about being able to kill everyone in the room without going all out; he was merely a raging typhoon of emotion, bound by honor and duty and subservient to his heart's passion. _These ninjas…Did they know that they would die today, by the hand of another who wanted a release from his pain at one point, like them. _He thought the same thing, no matter where he went, as he stood in this villainous cavern somewhere near the border of the Land of the Waterfall, which was a short distance from one of Orochimaru's hideouts.

"You are truly a cocky whelp." A ninja with dark green hair who loomed above the other with his above average height spat in Sasuke's direction. "Are you some hunter-nin with a bloodlust? Some country's obedient slave? An idiot?" The man then took out a long samurai sword and pointed it at him. "You may have been able to defeat a couple of ANBU, but don't think that you can take all 145 of us at once."

Sasuke still had his head bent down and obscured from view and it suddenly started to tremble slightly.

"Hah! Shaking with fear? Finally realized your predicament? Woken up?" The man grinned widely, until his face tensed up at the noise he was now hearing. That grating sound that he, like most shinobi who had a tough life, hated the most: Laughter.

"Thanks," said Sasuke, his voice beaming with artificial elation. "Now I know how little chakra I'll need to kill each of you."

"Brat!!" He motioned to his 20 allies surrounding the Uchiha. "Maim 'em!"

The shinobi gave a wide voice of approval; the final handseals were complete; the words 'Suiton', 'Fuiton', 'Ninpo', 'Katon', 'Doton' and 'Raiton' were uttered and the ninjas came seconds within of announcing the names of their jutsus when—

"Morons."

A large flash of light suddenly broke out in the middle of mock paradise. Dozens of the surrounding shinobi covered their eyes, halting the blindness that threatened to consume them, and as their pupils slowly shortened to adjust to the sudden burst of light, the fireworks had halted. The only thing they saw was smoke. The only thing they could smell was smoke.

And burnt flesh.

"Chidori Nagasi," Sasuke said coolly, brushing his hair back to reveal his Sharingan eyes. The roots he had placed underground, weaved with a complex network of chakra strings to facilitate chakra transport, had successfully reached the soles of each and every ninja that surrounded him. The electricity from the discharge had traveled unseen to the mass of hostile spectators, and successfully roasted 20 more of their team players. _It's a good thing the roots held up, _thought Sasuke, knowing full well that Lightning and Earth didn't mix very well.

"Bastard!! Kill 'em!!"

Sasuke bent his knees down and catapulted himself all the way towards the glass ceiling, narrowly avoiding dozens of shurikens. He took out four windmill shurikens of his own, with the special Uchiha thread wrapped around them, and launched them at his opposition as he leaped from the ceiling onto a nearby vertical crevice. The four shuriken made several loops around the various trees, ensnaring some unlucky victims in its wake, and just as the area was converted in to a massive web of shining thread, Sasuke flipped from one side to another, and in mid-air, made the mandatory handseals.

"Katon: Intense Pain no Jutsu!"

The molten hot fire traveled amongst the threads on his arms and held in by his mouth, making their way to throughout the entire arena. After a few moments, the luxurious paradise had become a spider's net of embers. Numerous screams were heard throughout the arena as Sasuke released his grip on the threads, since the jutsu's heat was so searing that they began to melt off. As he reached the other side, he noticed almost 50 shinobi coming at him in mid-air. He swung his Kusanagi around until he was holding it in a reverse grip and took out a wakazashi that he had concealed his robe. He then applied chakra to his feet and catapulted himself into the first foe. He swiftly dismembered him and slit his throat before leapfrogging over to the next three, who were approaching in a straight line. They readied their Katon jutsus though, and unleashed a massive Grand Fireball at Sasuke. He simply shifted his position until his feet landed back on to the ceiling, and as he sprinted forward, proceeded to cut through the fire with his lightning-infused Kusanagi in smooth motion. He passed right above the three and started to cut up the others in a flurry of blue strikes, as his wakazashi also became lightning-infused. A reverse slash for one, into a double blade stab for another two, into a hurricane dance that diced another 5, into successive fang thrusts that pierced through 8 more unlucky lackeys, into a Great Breakthrough no Jutsu that scattered them all apart, eventually culminated into Sasuke relinquishing his hold on his weapons and making a single handseal.

"Tenryuu Style! Globe of Blades!"

The Kusanagi and wakazashi suddenly came alive and split into nine perfect symmetrically lateral segments each, and shot out around the Uchiha, as they started to engulf the air with an almost spherical set of motions. The moon danced wildly in the ballet that was taking place, until the swords finally returned to Sasuke's hands in their original shapes. Suddenly, the air was awash with blood as its dregs stained the ceiling, the walls and the air. Sasuke remained unstained however. He looked down on the remaining shinobi who were preparing another onslaught from the various fire-infested regions of the square.

"You guys know what happens when cold water mixes with blazing hot fire?" He then made two handseals and thrust out his palm. "Suiton: Rapid Crusher no Jutsu!"

A torrent of water gushed out in a straight line and collided with the fire of the Intense Pain. A huge amount of steam gushed forth, suffocating, stinging and engulfing the remaining shinobi long enough for Sasuke to finish the job.

"Doton: Tajyuu Earth Spikes no Jutsu!"

Hundreds of jagged rocky pillars erupted from the ground and impaled the remaining shinobi, though their green-haired representative managed to leap away to safety. But as he turned in mid-air, a crackling hand went right through his heart, killing him immediately before emerging from his back. Sasuke kicked the man off before he walked over to the entrance of the Ninja Reserve, dispelling his Kusanagi back into the seal on his left forearm.

According to Orochimaru's spies, Akatsuki was capturing the tailed-beasts sealed within their respective vessels in order to unleash their power upon the shinobi world. They had made plans to build their own hidden village, using an exorbitant amount of money, and then slowly siphoning away the village's clients by accepting remunerations that were several degrees less than what the famous five villages were expecting. The five villages, due to the absence of any wars, could not take that risk and slowly their business would decline due to the mercenary ninja of Akatsuki. To factor in the demand to go with the supply, Akatsuki would unleash the tailed beasts, wreck havoc with them and immediately disperse the chaos, which would only serve to boost their reputation further. Every country will then look to Akatsuki for anything and eventually, the five villages would collapse due to lack of funds. With its position as the sole shinobi superpower throughout the entire land secured, Akatsuki could easily conquer all the countries and then the world.

Such a daring and grand plan required shinobi. Akatsuki's leader, seeing it as the right time about a year ago, started to recruit ninjas of various ranks, be from missing S-Class criminals to young and untested Genin, into their Ninja Reserves, sanctuaries for said warriors where they would be given guidance, as well as have their skills further honed. Many children could also be raised to become shinobi, and the leader made no qualms about setting up a breeding center for his new village where newborns would be nursed until they were old enough to hold a kunai. The Ninja Reserves were located throughout various locations within the ninja world, some obviously close to the Hidden Villages, and others in more perilous locations. It was only due to the sheer dedication of his spies did Orochimaru manage to acquire their coordinates when they were still under construction and in the various stages of planning and recruitment.

This had been Sasuke's impetus ever since he left Hinata, with just one month left to go on her training. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't stay. No, it just wasn't that simple. Ever since he discovered those documents of Orochimaru's, it was always in the back of his mind. Now, he had a real reason to move forward, a chance to amend for his sins, and a plan to go about dismantling Akatsuki.

Sasuke glanced at his watch and then upwards at the retreating haze of black of the sky as tinges of orange were faintly visible. His battle had lasted for about an hour and the sun would be set to rise. His mind went back to the first time that he had desired to leave Hinata, right after he told her his torturous test through fire.

_It was nearly five in the morning. Sasuke awoke to find the serene face of Hyuuga Hinata before him, as she held his hand gently. Sasuke removed her hand, and picked up his sword. I'll make this so much easier Hinata…But it's also that, I'm not very good at farewells, thought the young Uchiha. Narrating his story last night had drained him both physically and mentally and he immediately fell asleep, but now, it was time to leave. As soon as he got out of the tent, however, he felt a body press against his back as its arms wrapped themselves around his waist. _

"_Where are you going?" Hinata asked him this while burying her face into his back. The answer was clear but she had hoped against it being true._

"_Away. You have no need for a monster like me," said Sasuke coldly. This almost brings back memories, thought the Uchiha with a fair bit of irony. Except this time, he didn't want to leave. He wanted to be by that lily skinned girl pressed against his back for as long as he was alive. He wanted to smell her scent as she went about her daily training; it persisted over the reeking fumes of sweat and blood. He wanted to see her smile, her various shades of red, her stammering and her desire to never give up, again and again and again. But deep down in his heart, he knew. He knew that he had no right whatsoever to be with such a goddess when he himself was now as low as his brother, maybe even beneath that. "G-Goodbye, Hinata-san."_

_Hinata hadn't loosened her grip one bit. "You're not going anywhere. I- I won't let you."_

"_It seems were at crossroads here. But you know that what I did was—"_

"_I don't care!" Hinata's scream stopped his statement dead. "Why…S-Sasuke-san…Why do t-these things have to happen to people like us…Why do we have to give up our happiness so that we can repent in pain…W-Why…" Her tears began staining his robe._

_Sasuke truned around, his Mangekyou Sharingan fully activated. "Do you know what it's like…to have eyes like these? To have something that makes you less human? Something that's proof of your disregard to your loved ones?! Something—"_

_Hinata looked up at him with her Byakugan activated its veins stuttering along with her whimpers and falling tears. "Yes…My eyes…My entire clan are an example of that…"_

"_Then why…Why do you want to me stay? My desire was to kill my brother, not become him…Why do you want someone, who has no control over his own life, to stay?"_

"_Because…H-He completes me." Hinata smiled weakly as she clutched his hands with her own. "He's someone who truly understands how I feel, and who trusts me more than anyone, enough to paint himself as a monster just to show me the truths behind him. But Sasuke, you're not your brother. Y-You're not a monster. You're you, and nothing will ever change that. It wasn't you who killed your parents for pleasure…it was your brother. It wasn't your brother who killed Orochimaru out of insanity and sadness…it was you. It wasn't your brother who stayed by my side, became strong with me and saved my life with complete disregard for his own…It was you. Uchiha Sasuke."_

"_I…"_

"_T-Tell me what your heart says… Tell me what it's telling to do right now…" Hinata looked as deep into his eyes as she could. He had deactivated his Sharingan, she her Byakugan. It was now black meeting white; light meeting darkness, deciding upon the future._

"_I…I want to stay…"_

"_H-Hai?"_

"_I want to stay here…With you…"_

_Hinata smiled with joy._

"_I want to stay here with you and become stronger…So that…I can…I can…"_

_Hinata grasped his hand even tighter, not leaving his gaze for a second._

"_Become a better person. For you."_

_At that time, she accepted me for who I was, without even bothering to ask me why I was there in the first place, _thought Sasuke, as he went about the base planting explosive tags in every single room. The reason he had been there, the promise he had made to Neji, one of the factors of Akatsuki's plan to become the ultimate force in the world…he didn't share any of this with Hinata, instead choosing to take all the responsibility on himself. This Reserve was one of hundreds littered throughout the five countries, and Sasuke had taken upon himself to do away with them, on his own. It was pointless to a degree; one of the phases of Akatsuki's plans was about to commence and it required all the shinobi they could possibly dispatch. Though not aware of the exact number at the time, Sasuke knew that their forces outnumbered Konoha's by a factor of about 12 to 1. Thus he tried his utmost best to minimize their numbers as much as possible before his deadline was reached, after which he would go after the head honchos of Akatsuki themselves.

_I can't get rid of them all, _he thought nonchalantly, _but I can still do my best to make sure its even battle. Many countries will still be invaded but as long as Konoha is safe…No, that's not the way to think._ Sasuke took out a small calendar and counted the days that remained, after which he closed his eyes and tried to recall the remaining ninja reserves that still existed throughout the lands. He then put the sheet of paper back into his pocket, before pulling his robe and slacks off in order to remove his weighted clothes. Once he was ready to depart, he put his index and middle fingers up in order to dispel the Kusanagi and make it return to the seal on his right forearm. He then made the handseals for his Grand Fireball no Jutsu and ignited the explosive notes scattered throughout the base once he reached outside. The inside of the caverns made a large rumble before finally caving in, effectively burying any survivors and wiping any thing that Akatsuki could salvage from the massacre.

_Not much time left. But I'll persevere, Hinata. _

Sasuke then disappeared in a cyclone of leaves as he proceeded to the next Ninja Reserve.

Hinata and Naruto sat on the Fourth Hokage's head as they recounted the events of the past two years. Hinata talked about her travels to various regions while Naruto talked about his trials to be recognized. He achieved the status of ANBU, but he was arguably the strongest ninja in Konoha at the time, second only to the Sannin. Nevertheless, he always gave them reason to worry, especially after Jiraiya taught him how to perform the Flying Thundergod no Jutsu using some of the tips he gave to the Yondaime. He even knew the key to making the special seals which could be used to 'summon' one's body towards his target with an inhuman speed, but Naruto decided to reveal that particular detail some other time. They were so caught up in talking about the time they had not seen each other that they didn't even notice that morning was fast approaching.

"Oh no…It's already going to be dawn? Maybe I should've told Tenten where I was going," thought Hinata sorrowfully.

"She'll understand. I think," added Naruto with his trademark grin. "Besides, it's always fun to watch the sun rise."

"Hai," said Hinata dreamily. _Sasuke-kun…_

"So Hinata. Fell in love on your journey?"

Hinata's face suddenly went red. "E-Eh?! W-W-What are you t-t-talking a-a-about?! I-I-I…"

"Relax," he said, instructing her to breathe before her stammering consumed all the oxygen in her lungs. When she was calm, Naruto began to explain. "Hinata…When you were gone, I heard from Neji that you had a very big crush on me. Heh, I think it's more accurate to say that he told me you were in love with me. And then it hit me-- The reasons you used to spy on me when we were young, those times you avoided eye-contact with me…and all that time I just thought you were being weird. But now…look at us. You've been talking to me non-stop for the past five hours when I hadn't even heard more than a few words from you before you left. That's why…I think that you've discovered some one else."

Hinata thought for a moment. Her being in love? Of course she was in love. She had grown fond of the boy who had stayed with her, trained with her, bled with her and had taught her so much over the past two years. He had given her so much (was it out of his Uchiha inheritance money that he managed to provide for them for all that time? It was a high possibility.) and had always received anything which she gave him, be it shoddy results, bloody mistakes or simple affection, with kindness and understanding. It was only when he left her a month before she was to return to Konoha did her love for him become more apparent. _His kindness…He wasn't that way when he was a Genin…And I think I remember people saying that he tried to kill Naruto twice after he left everyone…He also broke Sakura-san's heart…_This running stream of thoughts wasn't meant to make a few inadequacies present in Sasuke's otherwise flawless existence; instead it lead to an even more important query.

_After gaining the Mangekyou and killing Orochimaru…Why did he come to me without first seeking out and killing his brother? Was he that disgusted with himself? Or was it something else? _

"G-Gomen ne, Naruto-san…I wish I could discuss it with you but…" Hinata looked away towards the sunrise. _'Don't tell any one you were training with me all this time' were his instructions._

"Don't worry about it, Hinata!" Naruto started to pat her on her head. "I'm just sad that some one else got to you before I did…You've certainly grown in the past two years!"

"Hai. A-Arigatou," she said, with a meek smile, as she remembered the last sunrise that she and Sasuke spent together.

By the time it was noon, news had already spread that Hyuuga Hinata had returned after a spectacular training journey and despite having traveled non-stop to get back to her home village, she still had enough energy to beat the stuffing out of Rock Lee, blindfolded at that. She still had her long white cloak and maroon red body suit on whenever she walked through the streets, but she left her various weapons and scrolls at Tenten's home, making sure to carry only those scrolls that she wanted to return to the Hokage's library, and kept her face visible. She was so worried about being punished in her last meeting with Tsunade-sama that she forgot all about returning the medic-nin's scrolls, but that would be rectified in a second. Hinata arrived at the Hokage tower and proceeded to head to the basement floors where the numerous archives had been located.

"Whoo, it's a hot day! Ne, Akamaru?"

"Arrf!"

"Huh? Oh," said Kiba as he noticed Hinata heading into the Hokage's tower. He was about to wave to her and greet her enthusiastically like he always used to do, but he stopped himself before that could happen. Kiba's hand simply wavered in mid-air before he weakly brought it back down to his side. Akamaru looked up at him with a questioning look before barking loudly again.

Kiba took note of his companion's call before he sat down on an adjoining street curb and sighed deeply. "I know, boy…I know…" _Hinata…just how am I supposed to think of you now?_

"Interesting. To think that she wanted this done as soon as possible."

Tsunade sat back in her Hokage's chair as she absent-mindedly looked up at the ceiling. "Yeah. Are you willing to oblige?"

The tall man smirked. "Well, you know me. Can't turn down a woman's request, can I? How about you?"

"She simply wanted a match, but I'm not going to pass up on this opportunity. Do me a favor and spread the word to whoever is on this list." Tsunade handed the man a sheet of paper, as she crossed her arms across her chest. "Tell them they have judge's duty, and that they are to grade her performance accordingly in their areas of expertise. I'll make the announcement about the event. See if you can get that brat to spread the word too." _She just wants to test herself, but she didn't say anything about not wanting it to be an official exam,_ thought Tsunade with a smirk.

"Got it," he said, before leaving casually through the window behind Tsunade. The event was scheduled to take place tomorrow. The Godaime then heard a knock at her door, and as she bade Tenten to sit upon the two couches that had been facing each other, she listened to what was on the perky girl's mind.

"You called me, Tsunade-sama. I am at your service," said Tenten as she peered at her idol with a steady gaze.

"Yes. I heard that you took in Hinata-san when she fond that out that the Hyuuga manor was deserted, and for that I'd like to thank you. Secondly, when you see her next, tell her that tomorrow, noon sharp, is her day. She'll know what I mean. I also wish that you could inform your friends and everyone you know to report to the Konoha Stadium for a 'special event'. Also, this is for you," she said as she handed Tenten a medium-sized scroll. "Please read it once you get back home, but don't tell Hinata 'bout it. That's all on the business front. But the main reason I called you here was because I wanted to ask you…"

"Hai?"

"Do you still think about him?" Tsunade sat upright and looked at Tenten with calm, yet saddened eyes.

"Neji…H-Hai. I…I really miss him a lot…"

"We all do. He was a talented Jounin and one of the best shinobi that our village had ever produced. I just wanted to tell you that he won't ever be forgotten. Life, however, goes on, and you should do the same Tenten. You're still young. Try dating other guys. It might help you in the long run…"

Tenten smiled kindly as her misty orbs of brown reflected her deep sorrow as passionately as her devotion. "Neji was the first and the last, Tsunade-sama. No one can ever take his place. I only wish…I could have told him how I felt…I wonder…Would he have felt the same for me?"

Silence befell the room. Tsunade was now looking down in a vain attempt to conceal her shame, as Tenten gazed outside at a flock of birds who had just taken to the skies. _At least you escaped your suffering a good while before you died…Right, Neji?_

"Thank you for your concern, Hokage-sama," said Tenten as she arose from her seat. "I appreciate it a lot."

"Give my regards to the cutie," said Tsunade with a smile as Tenten left. She proceeded to lie back on the couch with her arms stretched across its length, as she stared at the portraits of the Hokages. _Shodaime, Nidaime, Sandaime, Yodaime...Did they too feel the same way I feel now? _Before she could embark on another one of her thought process journeys, a tapping sound was heard from her window. Tsunade got up and let the dark colored sparrow enter, caressing its tired wings. She caught sight of the small parchment tied its leg, and once she separated the bird from its burden, it flapped away. Tsunade opened the small brownish paper, as her face shifted from a confused gaze to a suspicious scowl.

"Shizune," said Tsunade, speaking into the intercom present on her desk. "Send someone to find Uzumaki Naruto and bring him to my office."

Kagura Maxi was a busy man. The Land of Snow may have entered into the season of spring but for a place that has snow for nine months in an entire year, it's a relatively paradoxical term. The machines he was surrounded by were incredibly varied-- from salvos to turrets, steam-engines to telegraphs, he was renowned throughout the five countries as the 'Man Who Can Build Anything', another paradoxical term (_Exactly how much is there to build that this world really requires, _he thought constantly) but nevertheless, one that could equally boost his morale and annoy him to no end, if used by the right kind of people. His short brown hair was spiky and stood on end as he looked at the large clock that he had hung on the west wall of his garage for both aesthetic and imposing purposes. It was already 12:30 PM. His sleeveless white shirt was stained with grease and dirt, as his many pocketed trousers clanked loudly due to the instruments and tools he always wanted by his side at all times. Maxi untied his white headband and wiped the sweat from his brow. _Lunch time at last, _he thought with a well-deserved grin. _I shouldn't skip breakfast, but what the hell..._

"I wonder if someone," called out a voice laced with dry humor, "Could make me a device that could bring back the dead. I'd say that if anyone could do it, the 'Man Who Can Build Anything' could."

Maxi slowly turned around. _A voice that was familiar? Screw that! I'd recognize a smart-ass remark like that from anywhere! _He just had to meet someone who knew who knew how to push his buttons today of all days. The young workhorse looked towards his foreboding clock at the figure standing on the very tip of the hour hand. _And of all people, I had to meet him again. _The figure leaped down, landed with a soft scrape and proceeded to walk over to Maxi, whose brow was twitching with irritation.

"Uchiha Sasuke...So it is you."

"The one and only. It's been a while, Kagura," said Sasuke, brushing his hair casually.

Indeed it had been. Nearly three and a half years ago, Maxi came face to face with Sasuke and Orochimaru. Orochimaru wanted to commission him to build several deadly weapons using his advanced technology and superb mechanics, but he didn't count on Maxi being the two things he hated the most-- a stubborn teen and overly righteous. Sasuke had merely been an observer to the whole episode, but even he was surprised by how Maxi evaded death by Orochimaru's hand. He simply stated that though he was famous for being a master builder, he wasn't aligned to any one village or person, so y killing him, Orochimaru would only come to the sad realization that would make him feel that either he hadn't been killed at all or was never alive to begin with, and he would then delude himself into trying to correct the former, since the latter would've meant that the snake Sannin was losing it.

Sasuke couldn't remember the last time that Orochimaru had had as good a laugh as he did then.

But about two years ago, Sasuke had changed, and no one noticed it better than Maxi when he was visited by the Uchiha about a year and a half ago. He had brought Hinata along with him at that time, and for the first time in his life, Maxi had his yap shut and was contemplating on just who or what that gorgeous girl was.

Of course, around that time, he had been commissioned by Sasuke to work on something big, and much to his drudgery, he found himself going along with his proposal, initially not asking the reasons behind it.

_Until now, _he thought. _If he's finally here, in the flesh, then that can only mean one thing._

"So what was up with that stupid smile I saw you with earlier? You look like your getting a reward for pulling an all-nighter. Also, I'm sure you must think it's great that you're so focused on the thing you love the most that you can skip breakfast and not feel the side-effects afterwards. Am I wrong?"

_Hate...Uchihas..._

"Ha! You think you I'm just some open book but I'll have you know that entire countries are dying just to get a leaf out of a best-seller such as me!" Maxi then put his hands on his hips as he grinned widely.

_Idiots...Everywhere I go..._thought Sasuke. Somehow, he had let a yawn escape his lungs as his attention turned to an array of turrets. This didn't go unnoticed by Maxi and his face suddenly turned serious.

"Are they beginning to make their move?"

Sasuke broke out of his gaze and looked upon the spiky haired youth with exhaustion. "Hai."

"Dammit...So I guess this is where things get bloody, right?" Maxi felt like asking about Hinata at first, but he quickly forgot about her. Since Sasuke had approached him back then, he was receiving monthly funds to aid in his new pet project. It was only about six months ago that he was informed about Akatsuki and their plans. _And it seems that it's only now that Sasuke's begun targeting their ninja reserves._

"Depends. I'm here with the last of my inheritance." Sasuke took out an envelope and opened it to reveal several dozen bonds bearing the Uchiha stamp and symbol. He handed it over to Maxi and continued. "Will this cover the rest of the costs?"

Maxi's face immediately became downcast. "No. It won't. But the real bad news is, altogether, you're money makes up about 45 of the total production cost, Sasuke. Now, I'm not the kind of guy who'll leave a project, especially one such as this, in the middle, so I used my own personal funds, along with several loans, to finish it. Also...I want to do my part to defeat them."

"Don't worry," said Sasuke, forming another one of his famous smirks. "You'll get your money soon, with interest." Sasuke then began to make his way towards the exit, from where he would embark on a journey to the next Ninja Reserve when...

"Sasuke."

"Yeah?"

"How long do I have? You know...Until you come back to pick up your order?"

"Hmm...A week at most...But most likely, I'd say four days."

"I see. Alright. I'll get her ready," said Maxi quietly as Sasuke disappeared from within a second. _I just hope...we make it in time...God, I gotta stop being so gloomy and just do my part. _Maxi started to his descent into a very dimly lit hanger via a shaft elevator. _I'll leave the tough stuff to you, Uchiha Sasuke... _

Konoha Stadium was bursting with excitement. Several vendors were lined up on the outside near the entrance, providing refreshments to the entering crowds. Jounins, Chuunins and Genins were amongst those who were curious as to what ever they were about to witness. The Hokage's chair, situated at the topmost portion of the stadium, effectively allowing for an eagle's eye view of the matches that usually took place, was empty. The large arena had also been redesigned since Orochimaru's attack nearly five years ago, and was now three times bigger than before. The atmosphere was electrifying. What was this stellar audience about to bear witness to? No doubt a match (after all, they had witnessed nothing else in the past). Had the Chuunin exams been preponed from their usual time? No, there were numerous Genins present there as well, and besides, the Godaime would raise a tremendous fit if a plan had been altered from what she originally intended. Speaking of which, where was the Godaime? Wasn't she the one who told them to gather there?

Probably the only one who felt out of place during this whole event was Hyuuga Hinata. She made sure that she was wearing her maroon body suit and her weighted cloak lay firmly upon her shoulders. Her elbow and knee pads were shaking profusely. Her kunai and shurikens laid perfectly concealed; her tattoos, except for the one on her left forearm (due to the multi-strapped metal gauntlet she had on her left hand), were well-hidden; her three most essential scrolls were carefully attached to her left leg. Hinata was waiting in the wings, along with Tenten, and looked out at the enormous crowd from beyond the shadows.

_Its time...Time to prove my ability...Time to demonstrate to everyone just how strong I've become...This is it...There's no turning back...I feel no fear...But..._

Hinata suddenly hung her head and arms low as she began to quiver. "W-W-Why is there s-so m-many people out there?? I-I just wanted o-one match," she said, as Tenten was rubbing her shoulder to comfort her. "Is this payback for taking that scroll...?"

Suddenly, a cyclone of leaves appeared in the middle of the large stadium, and as the Body Flicker was dispelled, four ANBUs materialized, with the Godaime standing in the center, wearing a white full body ninja suit with her green long-coat on top. Her cleavage was covered by a netted shirt that she wore underneath and the sides of her pants had been open with several threads in place, no doubt to allow ventilation. One thing surprised the audience more than anything though-- as she took off her three-cornered red Hokage's hat, a Leaf forehead protector was revealed set upon a grass-green headband, and also, she had two kitanas strapped on to her back in a crossed formation. Tsunade steeped out from the protective wing of the assassination squad surrounding her and straightened herself as she began to speak in front of the breathless audience.

"Fellow villagers of Konoha, the Hidden Village of the Leaf! I, the Godaime Hokage, welcome you to a very special exam that is about to take place."

Many of the villagers and shinobi began to whisper amongst themselves but Hinata was struck by a sudden stage-fright. _Exam?_

"As most of you know, Hyuuga Hinata, heiress to the Hyuuga clan, and an excellent Chuunin of Konoha, left the village exactly two years ago in order to increase her strength and become a leader that her clan could be proud of. She returned only a few days ago, and as soon as we exchanged our greetings, she asked me for a special match to take place, by which she could display her skills. It will then be decided by our panel of judges," she then pointed to a table of four famous individuals, "What ninja rank will be awarded to her by her performance. No, to be clear, Hinata-san has NOT amused her power as the future heiress of the Hyuuga to effectively leapfrog over every other shinobi here in terms of rank. I made the decision for this match to be held in an exam format." _For all I now, Hinata's probably fainted after she found out the truth, _thought the Godaime as she looked in Hinata's direction. Satisfied by her shocked look (_So long as she's conscious...)_, Tsunade continued. "But trust me. For those of you who think you're getting the short end of the stick, you should know that this will not be an easy exam at all. Judges! Are you ready?"

"OOH! To think that the lovely mistress of the Hyuuga shall display her heavenly grace and inspire us all by her fiery youth...It's juts too much for me to take! YOSH," said Gai, as he stood with one knee on the table and gave his trademark thumbs-up and sparkling grin.

The gray-haired ninja sitting next to him looked up from the book he was reading and scratched the back of his head nervously. "Ja...I wish Hinata-san all the best," Hatake Kakashi said with one eye closed (indicating that he was smiling), before he returned to his book.

Suddenly, Tenten stepped out from the wings and spoke up. "I am honored to be the one to judge Hinata-chan's weapon proficiency. I wish her all the best. And in case everyone's wondering, I just enjoy being up-close to the action when I'm judging," she concluded with a cheeky smile.

"I'll be the one to judge Hinata's tactics and judgment," said Nara Shikamaru, who was genouinely interested in what was about to take place. _I'd like to see how just how much stronger she's really become._

The last judge, who was wearing a green flak jacket over a blood red shirt and dark jeans, stood up and peered down at Hinata with a smile. "I'm going to judge your chakra control and your proficiency with genjutsus. But aside from that, welcome home, Hinata," said Yuuhi Kurenai as she sat back down peacefully.

"Good," said Tsunade with a smirk. "Now that we got that out of the way, Hyuuga Hinata! Please proceed to the center of the field!"

Hinata gulped upon hearing the forcefulness in the Godaime's voice, but she quickly dispelled it with a shake of her head and made her way to the arena's center/ There was no applause because some people were either too shocked to believe that it was actually the same fragile and gentle Hinata standing before them or they were dumbfounded by what they were about to witness. Was Hinata going to go up against Tsunade? Was she actually going to challenge the current Hokage to a battle of shinobi?

"The rules are simple," said Tsunade as she peered into Hinata's eyes deeply. "You will be graded depending on your ninjutu, taijutsu and genjutsu use. Your weapon use and chakra efficiency will also be taken into account. Remember, Hinata, this is an exam. You must come at us with the intent to kill, not holding back for even a sceond. Your career as a shinobi, as well as your honor as a Hyuuga is on the line in this match. You must be able to adjust to the changing conditions with ease. Only then can you succeed. Is that understood?"

"Hai," said Hinata with determination.

However, that little two-lettered that their Hokage uttered was not lost on the people present. They looked at each and began to whisper until a loud murmur began to emit from the gathering. Tenten, also curious by her statement, was the first to ask. "Anno, Hokage-sama, what do you mean by 'us'?" She looked to the remaining judges but they simply raised their hands in confusion.

A low snicker was heard from the Godaime, as she once again locked eyes with Hinata. "Shall we let them in on our little secret, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata smiled slightly and nodded in confirmation.

A huge burst of smoke then appeared from out of nowhere, one that caught the onlookers off-guard. _An explosion? Has it already begun? _Tenten struggled to wave the haze out of her face and nearly fell flat. _No...They can't be serious...Hinata-chan can't be serious..._The audience were already standing in their seats and leaning forward to see just what happened, and a loud 'gasp' escaped everyone, including the judges', lips.

The man was dressed in an off-white robe with a red vest on top. His gray-colored slacks led all the way down to the wooden ninja sandals that he had on. His long white hair was almost as pointy as a porcupine's and an odd metal bandana adorned his head. Strange red streaks also led down from his eyes. The smoke was finally gone and the audience could now see him clearly.

"Yo," said Jiraiya, one of the Three Legendary Sannin of the Leaf, as he waved to Hinata with a smile.

"Report."

"Our forces number about 102,000; after 'Reaper' attacked the Ninja Reserves in the past one month that number has reduced to 80,450. Recently, our Reserves in the Land of the Waterfall have been decimated. Over 2,500 ninjas dead."

"He moves quick...yeah. He's definitely trying to oppose us...Either that or he's trying to challenge us...yeah."

"**Leader, he is obviously trying to stall the pre-emptive phase of our plan. Let us hunt him down..."**

"And devour him. It will be done slowly and painfully."

"..."

"Whoever this bastard is, he's really starting to get on my nerves. Let me take care of him. I'll shave his sorry hide to bits, and rip his heart straight out of his chest."

"He is skilled, that much can be certain. It is unknown if he is on Sannin- or Kage-level. It would certainly be a hindrance if he were to continue as he is...Leader, what would you have us do?"

The four remaining members of Akatsuki, Uchiha Itachi, Hoshigaki Kisame, Zetsu and Deidara, looked upon their leader. He nudged his face upwards in the darkness, revealing his orange eyes. He then proceeded to stand up and walk towards a large multi-eyed golem statue, stopping just short of its chest as he looked skywards.

"It's time."

The other Akatsuki members showed no surprise but deep down, they were innately curious. The Leader then turned to face them.

"It seems that 'Reaper' has knowledge of our plans and is attacking our Reserves in an attempt to minimize what he believes to be will casualties from an upcoming war. However, judging from his haste and the clean destruction of the facilities, it seems he may either know of another facet of our pre-emptive plan, or has personal feelings guiding his actions. However, it is no longer of any consequence.

"We will begin Operation: Rewrite in place of our field-testing of the shinobi we have acquired."

Deidara, Zetsu and Kisame smiled viciously, while Itachi maintained a stern face, as he acknowledged the Leader's decision.

"That means," started Deidara.

"Yes," said the Leader as he once more looked upon the giant stone golem.

"We shall unleash the Tailed Beasts."

**

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****Author's Notes: I am so late with this chapter, I know...But I had to move to a new place which took up a lot of my time last week. If you guys are happy with this filler chapter, then I hope you'll enjoy the next one even more since the real story starts there. Once again, thanks for your reviews and sorry for making such a late update!**

**Hinata goes all out! Summoning Contract Revealed! Naruto's Secret Mission! Too little, too late?! Next! Chapter 7: Ascension!**


	8. Chapter 7: Ascension

**My Eyes**

By Shiranui the Brave

**Author's Notes: **Remember those times when I said I felt like splitting a chapter but didn't since I thought that it would break the flow of the story? Well, I've finally done that by splitting chapter 6. Sorry for those who really enjoyed the length of chapter 5 but since I've been busy moving into my new place lately, I really didn't get any time to work on the story. Hence, 'Moments' is simply a filler chapter (with one bad-ass fight scene) that you can think of as the final pit-stop since from now on, I'm going to be racing forward with the story and the action. Trust me though-- you guys'll love it! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I now have a total of over 60 and more than 6000 hits! Banzai! Thank you so much!

**

* * *

****Chapter 7: Ascension**

_"Ne, Sasuke-kun..."_

_"Hmm?"_

_"I-Is this really necessary?"_

_"If it wasn't, I wouldn't be doing it. Right?"_

_Hinata looked around her nervously. She was sitting firmly in her family's seal, the same Hyuuga seal that appeared when she unleashed the Eight Trigrams: 64 Strikes attack. The uncomfortableness on her face was plainly visible, but then how else would one react when their blood was being used to make such a symbol? Sasuke had already taken acceptable quantities of her blood in advance and kept them in storage, making sure to mix an anti-coagulant drug, heparin, until the day they were prepared. As he finished drawing the seal, he looked upon the scroll for the Divine Valkyrie no Jutsu once more._

_"I think we're just about ready," he said as he began to compare the seal on the scroll and the one on the ground._

_"S-Sasuke-kun, you still haven't t-told me how you plan to make this work," said Hinata, still unsure of whether to run away crying or cry unmoving. Getting wounded during a battle was one thing, but sitting in a circle of blood, even if it's your own, can be downright creepy, as the Hyuuga heiress was now discovering the hard way._

_"It's very simple Hinata-san. All along, both of us have assumed that the Divine Valkyrie is a jutsu, when in actuality, it's a summoning. The amount of blood, along with its infused chakra, that you used last time was not enough, and that's why it began to leech on your health. By creating this blood seal, which we'll subsequently seal into your hand, you'll be able to establish a contract in order to complete the deal between summoning and summoner."_

_"I-Is this similar to the summoning tattoo you gave to me earlier?"_

_"No, unfortunately. The blood seal will be a simple means by which you can establish the summoning. This is probably the first summoning I've seen that requires blood and chakra just for making contact with the summoned beast. So that means in order to bring it over to our world and maintain it, you'll need to use your own chakra."_

_"H-Hai..."_

_"Now, let's begin." _

"So, this is the Hyuuga girl?" Jiraiya was facing Tsunade as he asked this question. He had a satisfied look on his face. "Cute and attractive-- don't find that a lot nowadays."

Tsunade simply responded with a look that said 'Make-A-Pass-At-Her-And-I'll-Kill-You' before she cleared her throat and faced the bespectacled onlookers once more. "Ladies and gentlemen, it will be a two-on-one match! Hyuuga Hinata will fight both Jiraiya and I in a no holds barred contest!" Tsunade then turned to Genma, who was deeply surprised when he saw how much Hinata had changed, and nodded. Tenten returned to the wings of the arena to watch the fight, with enough worry to suffocate a city. _Is...Is this what Hinata asked for? Will she be alright? Should I stop the match if things get too serious? What if she's critically wounded? Is she really strong enough to fight both a Sannin and a Hokage? Hinata-chan...Please be careful..._

"Is this really okay?" Haruno Sakura was sitting with her friends Yamanaka Ino, who was cheering non-stop for Hinata (and teasing Shikamaru who was sitting at the judge's panel using her new Mind Coexist no Jutsu, which effectively allowed her consciousness to coexist with her target, thus allowing the two to share information wordlessly; the jutsu didn't even require Ino's soul to completely leave her body, so she was no longer a sitting duck on recon missions) and Akimichi Chouji, who was downing a bag of potato chips, though with less vigor and more diligence than he had done when he was younger. "Do you think she can hold her own?"

"Eh? Of course, she can! Remember when she beat Lee, and that too when she was blindfolded? She's finally gonna cut loose! Isn't it exciting?" Ino exclaimed with excitement to Chouji, who simply responded by pointing out how skinny Hinata had become.

"Okay then," said Genma, as he looked from one combatant's side to the other. "Hyuuga Hinata versus the Godaime Tsunade-sama and Sannin Jiraiya-sama." He then brought his hand down swiftly. "Begin!"

_Hinata...Good luck, _thought Yuuhi Kurenai as she had her pen and paper ready.

The winds simply blew through the stadium at that time, rustling the trees and bushes amply. Hinata's snow white cloak fluttered as it followed their path. Tsunade and Jiraiya began to move around her until either of them was on opposite sides of her. Hinata heard Tsunade clench one of her swords as it slid out without little more than a sharp whisper. She then saw Jiraiya, standing just in front of her. He shifted his footing into a battle stance, his calculated movements easily readable by Hinata, after she had passively activated her Byakugan, which now allowed her to have a 360-degree view of her surroundings...and which now consumed barely 0.2 of her total chakra (which was equal to her body's active chakra recharge state per second); it was already one of her hidden trumps. As she saw Tsunade's second sword being unsheathed, she slowly made her way to one of the scrolls strapped to her right leg. Just as she began to unfold it, both Sannin made a charge at her. Tsunade was weaving back and forth from one side to another, her blades outstretched, while Jiraiya was making a set of seals.

"Doton! Swamp of the Underworld!"

The ground below Hinata turned into a black gooey substance two seconds after she evaded the jutsu by jumping high into the air. Jiraiya launched several shurikens in an attempt to keep her distracted while Tsunade closed in with her dual swords. However, all the projectiles and Tsunade's subsequent double sword swipe, (devastating, considering how she used chakra to enhance her swinging strength) were expertly blocked by a stiff yet thin, red Jingu staff. Tsunade smiled as she held up two fingers.

"Ninpo: Leaf Crescent Dance!"

Suddenly, two more Tsunades appeared right next to the original but as soon they as began their movements, Hinata unfolded her second weapon scroll, which brought a Kusarigama, a sickle and chain weapon, out. Hinata quickly put both weapons in junction with each other and yelled out.

"Ninpo! Weapon Fusion no Jutsu!"

The sickle and staff glowed red. After a few seconds, the staff's bronze head had been replaced by a black curved blade, transforming it into a scythe with a weighted chain at its end. She dodged a stab that pierced through her hood, as he she felt a cut on her left arm (which was absorbed by the weightiness of the cloak) and a gash on her leg that drew blood as she screamed, her Byakugan now fully pulsing:

"Tenryuu: Windmill Blade!"

The chain of the scythe wrapped around the two Kage Bunshins, who jumped in front of the real one just in time, and Hinata hurled the scythe into a bare wall of the stadium. The scythe and chain-bound clones rotated all the way, giving the illusion of a merry-go-round that wasn't grounded. The two Tsunade clones crashed into the wall before the scythe swung back around and met them, steel-to-face. As the clones dissipated, Hinata and Tsunade landed on the ground some distance away from each other. Jiraiya leapt next to Tsunade, just as the scythe disappeared, and whispered to her, "Let's see how she likes our combination attack." Tsunade smiled and nodded in agreement, while Hinata frowned upon hearing their exchange, thanks to some chakra-reinforced hearing.

Tsunade punched the ground, generating a shock-wave, while Jiraiya finished the handseals for the Katon: Dragon Fire Missile no Jutsu and embedded the fiery dragon into the quake, thus creating an attack that looked like fire gushing out of a crack from a volcano. "Combination Attack: Raging Shockwave!"

Hinata stood her ground and moments later, the attack simply disappeared when it came into contact with her outstretched right palm.

"Whoa," said Shikamaru, not taking his eyes off the action for a minute.

"Yosh!! The tigress lily of the Hyuuga is truly a sight to behold," yelled Gai with a clenched fist.

Hinata brought her palm down and walked a little towards her opponents. Her frown was now replaced by an emotionless expression. She tightened the knot on her Leaf headband, the action which was not lost on the Fifth.

"She used a sealless Technique Dispel just now. That's a risky move, especially when she could have simply run away from the attack," said Jiraiya.

"She doesn't want us to play around."

"Nani?"

Tsunade looked at him. "She's telling us that she's not interested in lame tricks. She wants us to fight as equals, and not hold back on her."

"Humph," he said with a smirk. "All she had to do was say so." Jiraiya began to elongate and harden his hair until the spikes glistened. "Go, Tsunade!"

"Hai!" Tsunade jumped into the air just as Jiraiya whipped his hair around. Some of the spiked hairs were let loose and approached Hinata in the form of multiple needles. Hinata readied her Kaiten and deflected the needles effortlessly, but just when it seemed that she had stopped her spinning...

"Painful Sky Leg!" Tsunade was bringing her heel down on what she thought to be a vulnerable Hinata, but little did she know that Hinata merely lowered the frequency of the chakra being released from her Kaiten, making it seem like she was finished using the divine whirl, but just as the Godaime announced her attack, Hinata reactivated it, while holding her palms towards the ground.

"Doton: Earth Wall no Jutsu!" The dirt and rocks began to swirl in a hurricane-like formation due to the Kaiten's rotational momentum. The spiral of earth stood tall and even managed to throw off Tsunade's concentration, causing her to backflip once and catapult away using her hands as she leapt off of the enormous structure. She regained her footing on the ground and looked at it intently as Jiraiya passed by her with a swirling ball of chakra in his hands. He pushed it into the mound and began to drill through, but just as he managed to create an opening, he caught sight of Hinata running up the walls, spraying ash from her lips as she went. Jiraiya and Tsunade immediately backed away, while Hinata burst out from the roof of the mound. Ashen mist began to seep out of the structure. Jiraiya made one more Rasengan in his hands and bounded upwards towards Hinata while she was still in the air but suddenly, she landed and balanced herself on the earthen whirlwind in a one armed hand-stand and muttered aloud, "Doton: Earth Spikes no Jutsu!"

Ashen spikes began to shoot out from the mound towards Jiraiya, who was in a confounded state. _If I try to break them, I'll get burned, and if I don't..._

His thoughts were interrupted by Tsunade who successfully moved in front of him and cut the spikes apart with her kitanas, one by one, until she had to drop the melted steel from her hands. _Unbelievable, _she said to herself. _Such strong Katon usage…It wouldn't be a stretch to say that she's aligned to the Fire element. _Hinata began her descent down the mound, rapidly making handseals as she went. _Here she comes…_

"Jiraiya!"

"Got it!"

Hinata came within inches of Tsunade's face with an elongated Blade of Wind, but felt a knee in her stomach and then her hair being pulled back as she looked into Tsunade's eyes.

"Ninpo: Poison Gas no Jutsu!" Tsunade then pressed her lips against Hinata's and exhaled into her mouth, after which she threw her into the air. Between coughing and wheezing and trying her best to prevent the poison from traveling any further down her respiratory tract, she felt tears coming out of her eyes, her vision becoming fuzzier by the second. It was then that she felt a number of spikes press against her back, as Jiraiya tackled her from while wrapped in his spiked hair. Though not enough to pierce into her skin, the impact prompted blood to erupt from her mouth. Hinata spun around and hurled kunai in several directions, unable to see where she was aiming. Jiraiya and Tsunade only had to dodge a few of them, as Tsunade punched Hinata in the chest before she hit the ground, sending her flying into a wall just below the numerous onlookers.

Sakura and Ino quickly left their seats to check up on the battered and pale Hinata, who made a severe dent in the concrete. Tenten screamed at the sight of her friend being torn apart. The whole audience had seized cheering as they looked upon her now lifeless body.

"Hinata...You've done enough...Please stop," said Tenten in a low voice. She was too shocked by the brutal battle going on to increase her volume. _I have to stop the match...I have to--_

The audience collectively gasped. The judges got up from their seats. Sakura and Ino both rubbed their eyes in disbelief. Tenten's sobbing momentarily stopped Tsunade and Jiraiya were impressed at what they were now seeing.

Hinata rose to her feet slowly, a bit wobbly in her movements, but she stood rigidly. She revealed her meek smile, wiping the blood from her mouth, and determined eyes. Hinata then proceeded to remove her weighted elbow and knee pads, generating a small storm of dust as she did so. She then made her way closer to the Sannin, eventually stopping just a few meters ahead of them. Her smile became wider as she raised two fingers up and dispelled the jutsu she was currently holding. Tsunade gasped as she and Jiraiya looked around them. Dozens of threads led from some of the kunai she had thrown to her mouth and fingers. Trails of exploding tags were hanging from the threads.

_She...She used an Invisibility jutsu to conceal the strings! This is bad!_

Hinata put her hands together in a loud clap. "Katon: Fire Dragon Blast no Jutsu!"

The entire arena was awash in smoke as dozens of exploding tags went off, some around Hinata, forming a knitted ring of fire that singed both Sannin as they leaped high up in the air. Hinata immediately took out her third scroll and clutched the emerging Kusanagi as she made a few handseals. As the chakra activated, she peered around at the remaining kunai that had not been tagged and extended several invisible lines of chakra towards them as well as towards her targets.

"Flying Thundergod no Jutsu!"

Jiraiya and Tsunade immediately felt a sheathed wooden sensation in their arms before they felt it once more in their necks, legs, ribs and spines. Hinata was moving back and forth between striking her opponents and leaping off the walls where her kunai were located to leverage some extra momentum. Her strikes hit the couple before she skidded on the ground, crouching with one knee as her out held blade was drawn to her side.

"Shining Strikes Combo!"

The Sannin's bodies immediately began to contort wildly as the various blows they had suffered caught up with them. The two fell to the ground but not before Hinata took note of their bodies. _No blood...That means..._

She immediately unsheathed the Kusanagi, and crossed it together with the hilt as she blocked the hand swipe that came at her. Tsunade made a few more swipes at Hinata, her hands covered in the Chakra Scalpel, each one of them meeting different green chakra parts before they could inflict any damage. The petite Hyuuga made to back away from the danger before she felt her foot caught by something; she looked down to see Jiraiya's hand emerge from the ground as Tsunade cut through her wrists using a pair of kunai. She stumbled back and fell on the ground, wincing from the pain that accompanied the blood that spurted forth.

_Kawarimi no Jutsu...They must have been hiding underground after I detonated the tags...My wrists..._She closed her eyes and concentrated. Her Combat Parts jutsu successfully formed a pair of green cuffs to prevent any further blood loss from her body. She stood and faced the two Sannin, who were already out of breath. Nevertheless, they were far from calling it quits.

"Let me teach you something other than ninjutsu and taijutsu, Hinata-san," said Tsunade, as she bit her thumb and made a few handseals. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" A giant puff of smoke emerged from the ground and when it cleared, Hinata narrowed her eyes in frustration. _Looks like this battle is just getting started,_ she thought. In front of her stood a giant bluish slug, with Tsunade and Jiraiya on top, as they looked down upon her with proud, yet smug, smiles. No doubt it was Tsunade's faithful summon Katsuya, the Slug Queen in front of her right now but this was not the time to feel intimidated.

Hinata took some of the blood that spilled from her wrist and made a few handseals, before slamming her hand into the ground and yelling, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Jiraiya closed his eyes and smiled. "So, it seems the Hyuuga have their own summoning contract..."

The smoke around Hinata was forcefully blown away as nine wolves of different colors, sizes, features and carrying different weapons appeared. Hinata was sitting on a medium sized gray wolf, trying to catch her breath.

"Hina-chan, ohayou," said the wolf as it licked her hand affectionately.

"Soma-san," she said. "I'll need your help. I-I'll need everyone's help. We are...We are to reach the top of that giant slug and assault its riders..."

"Is that the Slug Queen?" The question was posed by a large brown wolf wearing a black bandana that covered its ears and who had an axe strapped to its back.

"Yes, Hiro-san. Please everyone...Do your best..."

"Don't worry, Hina-chan!" Soma immediately crouched on all fours and snarled menacingly. "Ossu! Let's go!" Hinata dissipated the sheath of the Kusanagi kitana and held the hilt by her mouth as she grabbed on to Soma's rough fur as tightly as she could. The nine wolves then leapt one by one at Katsuya, each unsheathing their own weapons.

"Katsuya! This is only an exam! Don't kill her," said Tsunade frantically.

**"Understood," **said the giant slug, as it reared its head back and shot out a deadly gush of acid. The wolves had already sensed it and moved out of the way with swift agility. Hinata made a clear path of the wolves in her head and proceeded to jump from Soma to Hiro. She clutched his axe and heaved it at Katsuya to distract her, but as the axe made contact with her soft exterior, a wound opened up and several dozens of small slugs began to flow out. The other seven wolves immediately surrounded Hiro and Hinata, and proceeded to cut through each of the slugs. Most of the slugs began to disappear in a tuft of smoke, but each of the wolves were being taken down as well until it was only Hinata and her ride left. Jiraiya tossed a few kunai in Hiro, who couldn't turn his body in mid-air. The thuggish wolf took the projectiles head-on, and just as he too returned to his dimension, Hinata leapt off of him, her hands now holding the Lightning-infused Kusanagi that was aimed at Tsunade, the summoner. But just before it could connect, a medium sized slug suddenly appeared just in front of her from Katsuya's body and spewed a reddish liquid. Hinata gasped and tired to cover her face with her arms but from out of nowhere, Soma appeared and took the blow for her. He was blown back by the impact of the acid flow and as his body collided with hers on the way down, he evaporated in a cloud of smoke. Hinata felt her body going numb as she descended.

_Is this all I can do? _The blood from her slashed wrists now began to leak forth from her chakra cuffs. _Will I simply fall here? _Blood was smeared on the tattoo on her left forearm. _Is it really possible to…_

"Hinata-chan!" Tenten began to dash towards her, to catch her or at least break her fall. _Please make it, please make it..._

"Oye oye, Tsunade...Maybe we should stop. I haven't even noticed her for the past few years and even I can tell how strong she is," said Jiraiya with exhaustion.

"Hmm, I agree. This should be enough. Katsuya, you can--"

Hinata suddenly came alive, and thrust her left palm downwards. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

A huge cloud of smoke appeared in the arena, causing Tsunade's eyes to widen with shock, as Jiraiya looked upon the imposing figure now before him with a chuckle. "Well, looks like she still has some tricks up her sleeve."

Uzumaki Naruto clung on to his white robe as tightly as he could. The sandstorms were particularly nasty this time of year, but that was only expected in the Wind Country, especially with summer fast approaching. Naturally, Naruto could have used his Flying Thundergod no Jutsu to shorten what could have been (and what now was) a three-day journey into a simple six hour cruise, but the Godaime's orders were strict.

_"Yo, Oba-chan!" Naruto said this as he waved his hand and flashed one of his favorite targets of teasing a foxy grin._

_Tsunade repressed the urge to hurl her coffee mug at his face, as she smiled sickly. "You have a mission, BRAT. Now sit down so I can tell you the details..."_

_"A mission?"_

_Naruto took a seat in front of the Hokage's table as Tsunade took out the small parchment she had only received hours ago from the mysterious sparrow. "Yes. Apparently it's an S-Rank mission. The funny thing is the contractor especially recommended you for the job."_

_"A solo mission, huh? Haven't had those in a while," he said as he crossed his legs casually._

_"That's not all. The contractor seems to be anonymous. This parchment was sent with a money transfer order, by which the fees for this mission have already been transferred in your name. The accountants I spoke to simply informed me that they received the money yesterday by an unidentified person, and were paid extra to make sure it reached Konoha quickly. Not just that, but several terms of conduct have been laid out for this mission."_

_"Such as?"_

_"No use of chakra, or very minimal use of it, until you reach the mission starting point; Only you are to be sent for this mission, alone, and without any backup, but if it is necessary, you may receive one or two ninjas of the rank no higher than Chuunin to assist you; and finally, no leaving the mission starting point till one week from now, at most."_

_Naruto took the parchment from Tsunade's hands and examined it carefully as Tsunade crossed her arms to think. "This handwriting..."_

_"What about it," said the Godaime, as she began to take a sip from her mug._

_"It's mine. Well, it used to be mine, at least when I was still a Genin about five years ago." The blonde then looked at Tsunade with conviction in his eyes. "Oba-chan, have you received a report from Sakura lately, regarding Hinata, who just returned yesterday afternoon?"_

_"Yes. You don't mean to tell me that--"_

_"Yeah," said Naruto, a slight bitterness dripping from his speech. "It's possible to copy handwriting using the Sharingan, after all."_

_The Godaime sat back in her chair and looked at Naruto sternly. "Do you think it's a trap?"_

Naruto stopped and looked up at the sun as it shone brightly on his weary exterior. _A mission to protect the Kazekage, huh? _He then brushed some of the sand off of his white robe and continued on his way.

_Sasuke isn't just trying to play with me...It's obvious he's trying to tell me that it's him...Not wanting any high-ranking shinobi to accompany me, sending me, the container for the Kyuubi, for this mission, not moving from Sunagakure until the mission of protecting Gaara starts...Why do I get this feeling..._

Naruto saw the image of the Hidden Village of Sand appearing from the distance, as the sandstorms began to clear up.

_...That something really bad is gonna happen..._

Jiraiya and Tsunade looked upon the bruised and battle-weary body of Hinata as she lay upon a soft mass of pure white fur. She was struggling to balance herself against the stress she was now feeling. Her Byakugan fell upon the two Sannin, still situated on top of Katsuya, as her blood began to boil.

**"Hinata-chan. How may I be of assistance to you?"**

"Jubei-sama," said Hinata as she steadied herself on top of a large white wolf with streaks of red and orange set upon its delicate fur. The tranquil wolf stood almost 20 feet higher than Katsuya as it looked up at its summoner.

**"Are you alright Hinata-chan?" **Jubei's yellow eyes fell upon Katsuya and her two passengers as she bared her fangs, venom dripping from her voice and yet calmness pervading her tone. **"Did these people do this to you?"**

"Jubei-sama...I'm sorry to interrupt you...I would've have summoned your husband--"

**"Kira," **said the wolf somewhat hazily.

"But Jubei-sama, this is only an exam! The Godaime Hokage and Jiraiya-sama are my opponents and I must defeat them. I didn't want them to get hurt, so I...I summoned you. Please pardon me," said Hinata as she stroked her companion's fur, trying her best to fight off the exhaustion that was numbing at her body.

The wolf continued to stare at Katsuya with killing intent, which subsided as she sat on her hind-legs. **"I understand. You're still as caring as ever, Hinata-chan. Katsuya, the Slug Queen," **said Jubei modestly, as a sadistic smile crossed her snout. **"Shall we take this battle somewhere else? My master wishes no injuries to both those present here as well as to your two comrades. I also wouldn't want this peaceful village to have to indirectly incur my wrath."**

Katsuya, rightly terrified at being confronted by the current High Wolf Jubei, looked to Tsunade who answered for her instead. "Sounds good. Katsuya, let's go!"

**"Hai," **said the giant blue slug as it quietly disintegrated into millions of tiny, normal sized slugs who began to crawl and hop out of the arena from which they would regroup at the village's outskirts. Tsunade and Jiraiya landed right on top of the judges' table, much to the already immense shock of those sitting. Jubei made a single bound as she proceeded to an unoccupied forest area from where the fight could continue.

"Judges, follow me. Sakura," the Slug Sannin said upon seeing her former apprentice approaching to ascertain her condition. "I want you and your friends to inform everyone here that the exam results will be announced at a later time. Also, and this goes for the judges as well, keep a good distance from the battle that's about to begin.

"Hokage-sama," said Shikamaru, "Is it necessary to go this far? We can make do with what observations we have."

"It's not our will that dictates how this battle will end," said Jiraiya, arms crossed and with a stern scowl on his face. "Miss Hinata isn't done yet, and she would never forgive us if we took this away from her..."

"Take what away?" Tenten appeared next to the Sannin with tears in her eyes. "What if she dies? How do you people expect me to face Neji if that were to happen?!"

"Tenten. Hinata isn't just fighting for her name or for her honor any more," said Tsunade, as she placed a hand on the Tenten's shoulder and revealed her sorrowful eyes. _Hinata...Are you doing this for him? Do you really...with all your heart..._

The ground shook as shockwaves resonated throughout the village. A layer of Katsuya's skin was ripped off as Jubei slashed at her with little effort. Running did no good either; Jubei closed her eyes and crouched into a lunging position.

**"Demon Arts: Wolf Blaze!"**

The area around the gargantuan wolf began to catch on fire; the blackish, crimson aura emanating from Jubei condensed the flames to incinerate anything surrounding her. The cinders of orange remained still as numerous trees caught in the crossfire were felled. Jubei suddenly arched her back and spun her body in a complete circle, causing the flames to gain momentum and dash towards the hapless Slug Queen with a disc-like motion. Katsuya peeled off another layer of her skin, thinking that the flames were used up in tearing apart her previous one. However, she received a shock-- the disc of fire was still burning, hotter and than ever and continued to gnaw at her structure like a buzzsaw.

**"That is no conventional fire, slug. It feeds off of oxygen and water, the constituents of all flesh, thus acting as an acid. It burns off the exterior of one's body, leading the way for the flames to finish the job. Unfortunately, it seems that your skin is made of nothing but an acid's food, so the flames will get you before you even realize it--"**

Jubei felt a humongous impact on the left side of her body, which caused to skid back a dozen or so meters. She felt a swelling from whatever had just hit her and as she turned to the direction of her attacker, she caught sight of Tsunade, who was now rushing to the aid of Katsuya.

**"Exceptional strength," **said Jubei, as Katsuya proceeded to return to her own dimension. **"You are late, however."**

"Doton: Abyss of the Underworld!" Jiraiya's chakra was now flaring with all its might as a large black hole appeared just beneath Jubei's feet. The white wolf struggled carefully and with concentrated effort but could not escape her predicament. She looked up at Hinata, who was on one knee and looked to have only a little bit of life left in herJubei stretched her head as far as it would go and laid Hinata onto the charred soil before returning to her own world in a mountain of smoke.

Tsunade quickly made her way to a severely drained Jiraiya and started to heal his wounds. The toad Sannin chuckled a little. "That new jutsu of mine...requires too much chakra...and I still don't have proper control…Damn...Looks like my part's over..."

"Thanks again for the favor," said Tsunade, her hands still working their magic as she smiled gratefully. Truth be told, that last punch took a good amount of her chakra as well, and she was quickly approaching her limit.

_This battle, _thought Tsunade, _is it really over?_

_It's not over yet..._

_"It seems there's something missing..."_

_"W-What do you mean, S-Sasuke-kun?"_

_"Well, look at this symbol," he said, as he held up the scroll to her face. "You have knowledge of what the Eight Trigrams seal looks like, right?"_

_"H-Hai...Demo," Hinata said as she finally noticed it. On the scroll, it seemed like a symbol, a kanji, was missing. But what was it?_

Hinata smeared some blood on the tattoo on her right forearm, which called forth her final weapon: the Tsumugari. It was no longer snow-white hilted nor was the blade thin and colored a light shade of pale blue; the sword was not 3 feet long either.

_Sasuke took her sword and plunged it into the seal on the ground. It was at a conspicuous place--right in front of Hinata to be exact. _

_"Interesting. So that seems to be the connection."_

_"Eh?"_

_"The Tsumugari...famed to be a legendary blade that could rival the Kusanagi no Tsurugi and, if utilized properly, could surpass it. It seems the sword is the key to unlocking the ultimate technique of the Hyuuga family."_

_Hinata looked upon the blade as she stood up. Her beloved Tsumi...The one who had always been by her side, since the beginning of her journey..._

Hinata planted the sword into the ground just in front of her. She then took one of her kunai and made a deep cut in her right hand. The unbandaged appendage now revealed the Hyuuga family seal, painted in a crimson-esque shade of black. The young Hyuuga placed her right palm on the ground, and with a red flash, the Eight Trigrams symbol was now at her feet, with the Tsumugari occupying its vital position. Hinata then closed her eyes and began to go through the mandatory 112 seals.

_...The one who protected her when she was all alone...The one who called out to her and chose her to be its wielder...The one who would share all of its power with her..._

Hinata opened her eyes, and her chakra began to flare wildly. She then tightened her hands into fists as her eyes went from pupiless white...

...To pupiless red.

_Sasuke suddenly appeared behind Hinata, his hands in the shape of a single 'Kai' seal._

_The Eight Trigrams blood seal was now flashing white and its divine aura was resonating throughout the glacial land. Snow was cleared away and the underlying grass was revealed as the winds of the jutsu circulated powerfully._

_"S-Sasuke-kun...?"_

_"Your body may not be able to handle the chakra and control that this jutsu requires right now! I'll be your support, and provide an incentive for the jutsu to be sustained!" Sasuke's Sharingan was swirling as it took in the immense energy that was now occupying every molecule in the air._

"Heal Gate! Wound Gate! View Gate! Open!!" The air around Hinata began to grow even more violent. Her body was then enveloped in a white shining light.

_Hinata flinched upon the sight. So bright, she thought as she continued to hold the final handseal, making sure not to release the chakra until it was time. Her hands began to tremble. Such power…Can I really…_

_She then felt Sasuke's hands upon her shoulders, as his chakra aura had gone from blue to a mix of red and white. He had just opened five of the eight Celestial Gates. "Be strong Hinata! I'm right here with you!!" Sasuke's locks began to flutter wildly. His eyes widened as he saw what was in front of him. The blinding light was starting to adjust to a visible wavelength. Utter disbelief came over him, and it was then that he caught sight of the Tsumugari. The sword was radically altered from before. It's blade now stretched to be as long as 6 feet as its twin edges reflected the brilliant radiance before him; the handle was now a shade of azure, as the hilt was replaced by what looked like two crossed angel wings the color of granite. _

"_Beautiful," whispered Hinata as her eyes fell upon the brilliance before her._

"Gai, do you feel that?" Kakashi's Sharingan had been activated after the famed Copy Ninja arrived after the battle between the summoned creatures had nearly ended.

"Yes. Could it be?" Gai's frown reflected the serious mood he was now in. It was said that the only times that Maito Gai wasn't smiling or jumping around like an over-caffeinated teenager were when he was either battling a strong opponent or confronted by something that utterly obliterated any notion he had of his own strength.

The rivals stood alongside Nara Shikamaru, Tenten and Yuuhi Kurenai, as all five judges had just joined up with their current Hokage. Tsunade simply looked at the white flash of light that was now beginning to disappear. She spat on a singed tree and turned to the five shinobi. "Listen well. I want you to take Jiraiya to Konoha Hospital as fast as possible! Stay away from the battle that's about to take place at all costs!"

"Hokage-sama," said Tenten. "I-I can't just leave Hinata—"

"I know how you feel," said the Slug Sannin as she made a few handseals. The small jewel on her head, actually a chakra seal, pulsed once. "But this is no longer a battle between mere humans. I'll take responsibility of her. Now, go!"

The five simply shifted uncomfortably, not sure if what they were doing was the right choice. However, they began to leave, with Gai heaving the unconscious Jiraiya on to his shoulder. Tenten looked at Tsunade once with concerned eyes before finally leaving. _Good, now I can stop holding back…_The jewel crumbled into black marks that began to weave themselves on her forehead. Tsunade dashed forward, following the immense chakra signature that held traces of the innocent Hyuuga within them. _Hinata-chan…Do you really…For him, do you really…_

Tsunade finally stopped as she gazed at the sight before her. A column of light, that expanded to as high as the treetops (had they still been standing), housed a shining white figure inside of them. Its white wings flapped once, causing a soft breeze to blow that could be felt all the way from the top of the Hokage monument. Articulately designed marks of gold adorned the gleaming shoulder plates; an immaculate sapphire rested on the white breastplate; an unsullied white skirt wavered tranquilly as several thick knots of silver fell from them; a large sword, bigger than the wielder was being clutched in her right hand while her left hand held onto a gold and silver shield; a helmet with two wings that adorned either side of the pale girl's head was painted with drawings of two maiden warriors with their swords outstretched, as they met each other at the top of the open helm, which revealed the young summoner's beautiful loose hair that wavered with harmony.

_With my current reserves, I can sustain this for about two minutes…Can you see this, Sasuke? Can you feel my heart? _

The young girl opened her eyes as she hovered above the ground effortlessly. Sky blue pupils were set upon a pale lavender backdrop, as a gentle smile came upon her lips.

_Watch over me, my love…_

"**Divine Valkyrie no Jutsu…Success,"** said Hinata as she drew ever closer to Tsunade, who had tears flowing down her eyes as she smiled with all her heart.

"You're so beautiful, Hinata-chan," said the Godaime, as she proceeded to wipe the warm liquid from her cheeks. She then released the chakra she had been holding in, muttering blissfully, "Shadow Seal Release". The black markings on her head merged with her skin as she placed both of her fists up to cover her face. "Shall we begin?"

All chakra around her was now plainly visible; she could hear the singing of birds several kilometers away; the roses, vibrant cooking smells and leaves of Konoha entered her nostrils with ease; her every thought could be analyzed for days within her mind, thanks to her new blue pupils, with only a few seconds passing in the real world. She saw herself playing with her children; she saw Sasuke as he placed his fur-collared robe on her half-naked body when they first met; she saw Naruto when he was twelve years old, smiling at her with that cute face she had loved. Everything made sense to her at that instant as she returned her gaze to Tsunade and she acknowledged her with another angelic smile. **"Hai, Hokage-sama."**

"Oye, guys! What the hell is going on—" Naruto stopped short as he punched two ninjas in the face, breaking their noses in half. The ninjas were wearing black outfits with red cloud patterns on them.

Temari was on the rooftop of a building overlooking one of the many passes that led into the Hidden Village of Sand. Her oversized fan was unleashing one Cutting Winds no Jutsu after another, as she was simply using suppressive fire on the droves of enemies who were making their way into the ninja. It was a strange sight—some of them were dodging her attacks effortlessly, despite the cramped space they were trapped in, while others were simply standing there and being slaughtered. Kankurou was using his puppets to subdue the enemies who came too close to his sister, when he noticed Naruto. "Uzumaki! What are you doing here?!" Nine ninjas suddenly appeared over the puppet-master, their shadows like vultures that had just spotted a juicy hapless prey. They were suddenly dispatched when Naruto came in between them and kicked them several meters away using a whirlwind-like motion.

"Nice to see you too! I'm here on a mission to protect Gaara! Where the hell is he?"

"He's at the pass opposite to this one, holding off all the enemies entering by himself! We've evacuated all civilians into the subterranean depths for safety! It's just us shinobi taking these invaders on! Our odds don't look good with the numbers we have!"

"Then we'll just have to make it more even!" Naruto made a cross-shaped seal. "Tajyuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!!"

Two thousand Narutos suddenly appeared as the original removed his coat and looked at them with anger in his eyes. "Alright team!! Find anyone who's wearing those clothes," he said, pointing needlessly to the corpses around him, "AND BEAT THE CRAP OUTTA THEM!!"

"Yosh!! Let's go!!" The multiple Narutos disappeared in one movement, as the original made his way to where Gaara was. _Sasuke…Is this what you anticipated? Am I too late?_

"Desert Requiem!!"

The huge wave of sand which had fallen on those unlucky shinobi flattened in an instant, brutally crushing them. The Kazekage's Shield of Sand was blocking all projectile attacks, as the invading army was held by the dangerous tendrils of sand that picked their allies up and heaved them straight into something hard. Gaara waved his arms maniacally, yet with exercised rhythm as he tore apart his 200th victim. "I have the advantage here, you miserable roaches," he said coldly. His eyes were exulting pure, unbridled killing intent, daring any one to get within two inches of his face. A sudden tremor rocked the desert and the village. Gaara looked past the multiple dead men walking…and spotted his worst nightmare.

"Gaara!" Naruto appeared next to him with a yellow flash. "Oye! What's wrong?!" Gaara's mouth was hanging open as he pointed to the object in the distance. Naruto looked straight ahead and clenched his teeth.

"**RAAARRGH!!"**

The sound resonated throughout the distance as the beast's plated tail stomped back and forth. Its yellow eyes had a dark black slit in the middle of them as a monotone shade passed for his body. Several veins of blue were visible on its body as it came closer and closer to Sunagakure.

"The One Tail," said Gaara, as he regained his senses. But the enemy shinobi had already retreated for fear of their lives. "Shukaku…"

Sweat dropped from Naruto's neck as he clenched his teeth even tighter. His body began to tremble.

However, his fangs became more distinct as he smiled with joy. _So, this was it, Sasuke? You knew about Akatsuki's plans…Is that it? Well, no matter…_

Naruto cracked his knuckles and looked upon the towering sand incarnate, which was getting ever closer to the pass where he and Gaara were standing.

"Let's rock!"

**

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****Author's Notes: **This chapter took quite a while to get ready. And it's not even that long! As such, I wanted to include the remainder of Hinata's battle as well Naruto versus Shukaku, but it would be better to get what's done out and worry about the rest later. Any comments on the battles so far? Too good, too bad, or just average? I'd appreciate the feedback people! To those who are looking at the plot and wondering 'WTF?!', I'd like your patience on this. The story itself has gone from mere diversion to my current epic, so the amount of stuff going on will be explained after two more chapters, at best. Hope you guys still like how the story is going. Please read and review! 

**Naruto's new powers! Titanic Battle's Conclusion! Konoha Under Siege?! Avenger's Rescue! Next! Chapter 8: Dawn! **


	9. Chapter 8: Dawn

**My Eyes**

By Shiranui the Brave

**Author's Notes: **This is the first of the three chapters that symbolize the finale of this part. For those who are confused, the arc your on right now is the second one; the first one ended with chapter 5. The story from here on out will have a lot of action, violence and sadness (and love, can't forget what the genre category says ;p). Now, I'm not saying there's anything here that's gruesome, like some other stories that carry (well, actually not) a warning, but it'll definitely be more intense than the chapters thus far. Once again, thanks to everyone who reviewed. Either Hotmail or seems to have been giving me some quirks so I may not have received some messages and reviews from certain people but I think it just got fixed. So far, I have over 80 reviews and the hit count is over 7100 so far. Sweet! Looking forward to more and more readers and feedback. Thanks for your reviews and time! Enjoy!

**

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****Chapter 8: Dawn**

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

After piercing his thumb and making the required seals, Uzumaki Naruto slammed his hand into the ground. A giant cloud of smoke erupted from beneath him, and before Gaara of the Desert knew it, the young blonde was standing on the greatest of all toad summons, Gamabunta, looking out at the enemy before him. With his arms crossed and the harsh zephyrs of the country air passing through his golden hair, he evoked the carbon copy image of the Yondaime Hokage. Gamabunta took one large leap, effectively clearing the pass before him, and created a large depression of sand when he landed.

"**Uzumaki…Naruto…What do you want?"** Gamabunta's red skin and scarred right eye weren't the only things that made him menacing. On top of following a yakuza-like code of honor, he had his famous gargantuan hiltless dosu by his side, and was reputed to have been strong enough to stand against the Nine Tails. Right now, however, he found himself in a very familiar, and hence, highly irritating situation.

"Boss, we've got a problem. Recognize that ugly mug?" Naruto pointed to Shukaku, who had stopped a few hundred yards away from the duo. The sand incarnate was twitching wildly, as it snarled, drool seeping from its mouth.

Gamabunta's eyes immediately narrowed, and he finally looked at Naruto after some time spent introspecting. **"Kid, my congrats. You've mastered time travel. But I believe that one fight against this jerk is enough for me."**

"This ain't the time for wisecracks! What's up with him? Why the hell is he going berserk?!"

"**Hmm…from what I can tell you, it seems like the old sand-bag is under some kind of psychotropic chakra control…"**

"Psychotropic…You mean someone's messed with his head using chakra?" _It's no doubt the work of Akatsuki…But to be able to release Shukaku like this and take command of him…is this also Akatsuki's power?_

"**Seems like it. Not a great job from what I can see, but he's definitely determined to level this village."** The giant frog held his immense pipe in one hand and blew out a hefty amount of smoke. **"Any ideas why?"**

The young demon vessel looked back at the village of Sand. Gaara and his siblings, along with the entire shinobi army of Suna and hundreds of Naruto clones, were holding their own against the torrent of Akatsuki ninjas, and it seemed like the situation would be under control in no time. But the real Naruto wasn't willing to take any chances. "Beats me," he responded. "But since we have a mission like this, what say we beat some quick sense into him?"

"**Still a reckless brat, eh?"** Naruto's eyes were blinded by the gleaming blade, as the frog boss slowly unsheathed it. **"Right, let's do it."**

_&&&&&&&&&&&&_

_Oye._

…

_Wake up you lazy furball!_

A low growl was heard as Naruto faced two steel gates, firmly closed by a paper with the word 'Seal' etched on it. A bubbling mass of flame slowly seeped out of the cage and as it reformed, gave birth to the fierce, bloody, vicious, unrelenting, horrifying and monstrous form that history was all to familiar with. The pointed red ears perked up and its slitted red eyes opened to take in their surroundings. The beast roared magnanimously at the ant-like figure of his vessel before it spoke up.

**_What the hell do you want, you puny twig?!_**

_Long time no see._

_**Shut it, Mr. 'I'm-too-good-for-you'! Heh heh…What's the matter?! Come crawling back?! Couldn't get the job done without your little tenant?! Hahaha!!**_

Naruto gave his trademark grin as his hands formed into a single seal. _This is gonna hurt me more than it's gonna hurt you, damn fox. Well, not really, but…_

The sparkling mass of the Kyuubi stopped laughing and gazed at what appeared to be his body's mass disintegrating into red chakra and moving into Naruto. The Kyuubi screamed out in horror. It bore its fangs upon Naruto and tried to swipe at the smiling blonde with its paws, but recoiled in horror once more upon seeing that its arm was absorbed into his body.

**_You little bastard…What have you done…My power_**…

_Don't worry. You'll get it back once I feel the need to relinquish my hold over it._

**_How…? How…can a mere human…_**

_Heh. I made a few modifications to my seal over the past few years. Now, whenever I want, I can forcefully take as much of your chakra as I want. Not only that, but the corroding effects of your demonic chakra will become reduced by a great deal. Consider this payback for hurting Sakura-chan all those years ago…_

No matter how close he got to her, or how many times he proved to the villagers that he was more than just a vessel for the greatest demon to ever live, let alone being the Kitsune himself, Naruto could never forgive himself for that day. That day when he had lost all control in an attempt to bring back Sasuke. He was so absorbed in keeping his promise, so selfish in his love for Sakura that he almost came close to killing her when he attained four tails worth of the demon fox's chakra. Even when he didn't say so, the hurt was still there in the calm blue oceans of his eyes.

_**That woman…? You dare go against me for some…sack of meat…woman?!?...I'll get you, you little prick…I'll…ri…p…y…ou…apa…rt…**_

The Kyuubi's upper body, ending with its head, had finally been assimilated by the young Uzumaki. Naruto opened his eyes; they had changed from crystal, innocent blue to a ravenous, crimson, slitted red. His fangs were now elongated by two inches, and the razor sharp incisors inhabited two-thirds of his mouth; his fingers were replaced with claws. The chakra aura that pervaded him was appalling to say the least, as five bright red tails swung behind him.

But beneath the beast's exterior, a ray of light was visible.

_Sakura-chan…means more to me than you can ever imagine. _

Naruto proceeded to walk away from the now empty gates of the Nine-Tails.

_Arigatou, Oto-san. It seems you're reputation of being a seal-master was well-earned…_

_&&&&&&&&&&&&_

Naruto's journey to the depths of his sub-consciousness had ended, and he slowly readjusted himself to the light of the real world. The snarling blonde looked upon his palm once more. He then curled it into a fist and directed it at Shukaku, who was foaming at the mouth upon recognizing the twisted chakra that was now at the young shinobi's command.

"Let's go, Boss!!" Naruto leapt off of his summon, as the toad boss took the high road. Rasengans were beginning to form in both of Naruto's hands, only much bigger and made of red chakra. The two balls of chaos screeched through the air, their shrieks echoing throughout the lands. Naruto appeared in front of Shukaku's mouth, just as the One Tail had begun to condense an immense amount of air into its gut.

"Eat this! Double Rasen—"

The gust of wind would've blown any other person to pieces; for Uzumaki Naruto, the never-say-die, never-give-up, bring-it-on ninja of Konoha, such an outcome would've been implausible, if not downright cowardly. The Air Bullet had met his dual typhoons head-on, and they were currently at an impasse. Naruto gritted his teeth and pushed harder, much harder than before. A humongous pressure erupted from the confrontation. It was first directed outwards, but due to the counter-currents of the Rasengan, it was quickly sucked back inwards, and threw back both Naruto and Shukaku. The sand beast was reeling its head from the impact. It regained its composure and let out another roar in what it thought to be Naruto's direction…

…Which is when it met a huge mass of water right in the face.

"**Suiton: Water Bullet!" **Gamabunta's water jutsu was now on fully automatic as he pelted out one blob of liquid after another. Shukaku raised his hands to lessen the impact from the blows, and after the toad had stopped for a breather, it once more expanded its gut, taking in vast currents of air.

"**RAARR—"**

But the attack never came. Shukaku's jaw had just been directed skyward. The sand making up its vital lower mandible began to crumble and was in very real danger of giving way. The beast covered its jaw, as it shook its head back and forth in a vain attempt to ward off the pain. Gamabunta smiled and took another whiff of his pipe as Naruto had delivered a rising kick, right into the demon's head. Still airborne, Naruto began to charge up an attack that neither the toad boss, the sand incarnate nor the entire village of Sunagakure had seen.

"Fuiton: Rasenshuriken no Jutsu!"

The swirling sphere of the Rasengan was encased in a bloodied four-edged shuriken that was about twice the size of one of Shukaku's eyes. As the Fuiton-infused Rasengan made its way to its target, Naruto snickered as he put his hands together in a plus-shaped seal.

"Kage Rasenshuriken no Jutsu!!"

Others present at the site (meaning, those who were at least 2 kilometers away from the impact zone) swore they saw a hurricane to rival all hurricanes. It was preceded by the image of nearly a hundred large shuriken-like objects heading towards the titan-like figure of Shukaku. Next thing they knew, a mix of every single natural disaster that had its origins in wind had hit the sand demon. Millions of cuts were made on its body as it howled into the noon. Sand was raining down from its structure like in torrents.

"U-Unbelievable," said Kankurou, who stalled the operation of his puppets long enough to catch sight of the wonder before him. "What frightening chakra…Is that the true power of the Kyuubi?"

"No," said Gaara silently, as hope began to return to his eyes. "It's that of Uzumaki Naruto." The siblings returned to their battles, now more determined than ever.

"**A Strong Wind Gives Birth To A Hope That Blows Through All Obstacles…Right, Arashi," **muttered Gamabunta to himself. Naruto had used his Flying Thundergod no Jutsu to return to the top of his head.

"Yo, boss! Let's finish the job!" Naruto now had both hands placed above his head, as he closed his eyes to concentrate.

"**Yeah. Suiton: Sonic Crusher no Jutsu!"**

"Fuiton: Rasenshipuu no Jutsu!"

A massive hurricane began its formation, with Naruto's palms acting as the base. Clouds were engulfed in it, sandstorms took up residence in it—it seemed like a challenge to the very heavens. The resolute blond brought his hands down, directing the hurricane downwards. At the exact same time, a mammoth surge of water gushed out of Gamabunta's mouth. The two attacks became one and what was seen could only be classified as…

"COMBINATION ATTACK: MASSIVE TSUNAMI!!"

* * *

Tsunade waited, with her fists still at the level of her face, as Hinata gazed upon her. The young goddess's eyes were at once filled with a mist that indicated the deep thoughts going through her mind as well the various battle plans she was coming up with. The jutsu itself required five Celestial Gates to be opened but Hinata only released three of them. The Godaime was waiting for the first strike to come but Hinata was blissfully trapped in her own world at the moment.

_My son and daughter…What shall I name you two? Why don't we let your father decide?_

_This feeling is strange…So foreign and yet, so gentle…_

_Thank you, Naruto-san…You always did inspire me to do my best and not give in to fate…_

_If I come in from the right with a feint and then teleport to her opposite side with a shield smash, I should be able to land either a sword slash or a low kick depending on whether she shifts her position to the left, by 35 degrees. If she moves to the left at an obtuse angle, I should defend myself from her onslaught after she disposes of the Bunshin I'll send to distract her, and then, when the chance is right, I can use 'that' jutsu to possibly finish the fight for good…_

"Hinata-chan?" Tsunade made the one mistake that could have nearly cost her her life—she lowered her fists by an inch, which was all the opening that Hinata needed.

"**Let us begin."**

As Tsunade blinked, she lost sight of her shining opponent, who reappeared next to her side and plunged her sword into her ribs.

_Fast,_ she thought before the cold steel entered into her side. Hinata then proceeded to follow up with a bash to the head using her gold and silver shield. The Godaime took the blow straight-out and swung around with a round house kick but all she felt was air. The divine heiress reappeared behind her and grabbed her head, wrapping it in her legs. Hinata suddenly backflipped, taking down the Hokage in a bone-breaking inverted Peregrine Falcon Drop; she stabbed her sword into the ground while rising and proceeded to stand on it, with one foot, as she pushed her hand outwards.

"**God Arts Style: Divine Entity Revival," **she said calmly. A bluish translucent mass began to move out from her finger tips and it quickly broke out into a dozen or so threads.

Tsunade's wounds just started to heal when she saw the technique. _Chakra strings? What does she—_

"**Divine Entity: Shining Judgment." **The strings, about 13 in number, broke up further into about twenty blinding white weapons each, some of them being kunai and shuriken, others being a replica of the Tsumugari and Kusanagi. Tsunade pooled as much chakra as she could into her feet and ran to the nearest and tallest tree that was still standing: a 60 feet by 25 feet, thick, oak structure. She uprooted the flona just as Hinata hurled her chakra-composed weapons, and flung it past the weapons directly into the armored Hyuuga. Tsunade smiled, as she felt the bones in her cranium and rib-cage along with her flesh and organs regenerate without leaving a mark. _You're gonna have to do better than that, Hinata-chan—N-Nani?!_

The oak, which was just a few seconds ago dragging the petite girl along the forest floor, stopped abruptly. It then stood erect and started to shine as a white chakra engulfed it completely. _Dammit! _Tsunade brought her two index fingers together and closed her eyes, focusing as much concentration and physical stamina as possible into every molecule of her body.

Hinata was looking up at the tree hanging above her hand with wonder. _This stood for over 30 years, providing homes to small animals and providing sturdy wood by means of its healthy branches. Its leaves are compound, articulated and long. _A small tear came to her eye. _This tree is dead now._

"**Divine Entity: Tsumugari no Mai." **The oak tree began to shine even brighter; several entrails of chakra began to spiral around it. It then reformed into a giant blade made of chakra. It stood like a beacon of light against the beautiful afternoon sun. Hinata held the blade even higher, her right arm's movements signifying the control she was exerting. Her right arm came down forcefully, just as tear made its way down her cheek and was bearing down upon Tsunade. A collision was expected—one that would explode forth in a romance of dust and debris.

But it never came.

Tsunade held the great blade between her hands, as it stood gleaming, the edge only a few centimeters from her face. Hinata tilted her head curiously as she looked upon the Godaime who was halting her attack, even though the valkyrie vessel used all of her strength. Tsunade's body was reddish gray, almost the color of crimson, which signified the amount of blood rising to the surface of her peripheral form. Her eyes were no longer green. In fact, her eyes had disappeared altogether. All that was left were the nerves splintering erratically against the white viscous fluid.

"Shadow Seal…Level 2…Release!" Her muscles twitched, and some of her bones cracked. Tsunade yelled out as blood began to flow from her mouth. She then lifted up the colossal white chakra blade and heaved it into the sky. Seconds later, it was nothing more than a faint twinkle.

"**This is the Godaime's full power," **said Hinata, with an expression that was like a void of emotions. She herself was surprised by the change, but quickly discarded her surprise and continued. **"It's strange. It seems as though—"**

"I opened all eight Celestial Gates? Yeah. It's something like that." Tsunade straightened up and wiped the blood off her mouth. "This is the power of my level 2 seal. When supplemented with the regenerative capabilities of my level 1 seal, I'm able to keep all eight Celestial gates open as long as I want. The Celestial Gates feed off the body's fat, proteins and wastes, but my cells will just keep multiplying to make sure the supply meets the demand."

"**Amazing. But it seems there is a drawback. I'm guessing it's the shortening of your life-span?"**

"One of the drawbacks, at least. I'd ask about your jutsu, but judging by my current state," said Tsunade as she let her arms hang loosely by her hips, "I have about a minute."

"**I see. A pity." **Hinata placed the Tsumugari on top of her shield, which was oriented to face the Godaime, such that its tip was pointing forward. **"I shall make this quick." **

_It seems this is a different Hinata I'm speaking to…Or could this be another effect of her jutsu? _"As you like it!"

Tsunade charged forth, her running footsteps tearing up the forest floor as grass, roots, soil, and rocks were uplifted and tossed aside. Before Hinata could block, Tsunade punched her square in the chest; just as the kunoichi halted, a strong gust of wind shot forward, along with the debris that was on her heels. An entire ecosystem had literally been thrown at the young Hyuuga, not discounting the monumental power that resided in Tsunade's punch. Her wings sprouted forth once again, and blew a tremendous waft outwards. Tsunade cut through the release, and leapt into the air. She once again made to perform a Painful Sky Leg; however she began to somersault forwards, the continuous spinning adding more momentum to her killing edge.

"**God Arts: Guardian Angel." **Her white wings encased her and hardened, their color shifting from pure white to arctic black. The kick made contact with the shield, trying its level best to penetrate it. Sparks began to fly; eventually, the black wings began to glow red from the friction. Tsunade's foot was already past broken, the blood staining the singed ground. It was like the retelling of the legend of the strongest shield and the strongest sword.

It ended in a draw, however. Tsunade landed on the ground and shook her foot a little, causing the bones to set back into place, while Hinata's wings returned to there white shade, before letting the red flames ignite the feathers and reduce them to dust. Tsunade skipped on her left foot and vanished, her movement only indicated by the individual craters created by each of her rapid footsteps. Trees were felled and ash was thrown sky-high, creating an encompassing black fog. Hinata's Byakugan was tracking the Godaime's movements, which were multiplying in speed with each passing nanosecond until she disappeared altogether. A double-handed sledge landed fiercely on the shield, which was placed next to the pale girl's face, shattering it into a million specks of gold and silver, before moving forward and severely cracking her helm on the side. Hinata moved back a couple of inches before plunging her sword, which was now covered in a devilish fiery dragon, straight into Tsunade's arm. The woman felt her left arm leaving her body, and the respective nerves being incinerated in the exchange. All feelings of pain were non-existent, though; only a slight tickle reached her mind when the limb had regenerated. Tsunade then slit her right wrist and held it up so that the blood covered her entire arm. As the wound healed, the plasma evaporated, the WBCs died and the platelets formed a hard shell composed of thromboplastin and RBCs around her limb. She swung at Hinata, before following up with a straight kick, both which she dodged easily, her open blue hair dancing gracefully. The exchange of non-connecting fists and kicks, palms and slices continued; raw static was being emitted around the competitors, as the air was literally being used as conductor. The fight was no longer an event or a contest. It was a war. A war between a divine warrior of the heavens and the blazing deity of the village; a war where everything was secondary, even the results.

Hinata and Tsunade eventually met, sword to fist, and both of them were pushed back by the subsequent bang of their encounter. They met eyes for what would be the last time.

"Ninpo: Supernova no Jutsu," said Tsunade, as a five-colored rainbow began to circulate through the bloody rock on her right arm. They met each of her knuckles, the colors of red, aquamarine, white, yellow and orange, and formed a set of five spikes that shone like gems.

"**Raiton," **said Hinata, as she dropped the Tsumugari, and clutched her left wrist. **"Flapping Chidori." **A clutter of bitter black electricity began to accumulate in her left palm, as a thousand flapping noises were heard at once. Only one strategy entered her mind at that moment. It was simple and had only one instruction—beat the clock. Currently, only 14 seconds were left for her in maintaining the Divine Valkyrie no Jutsu. **"It is over, Hokage-dono."**

_Hokage-dono…? Seems my suspicions were correct. _"Yes, Hinata-chan. It is."

The two females rushed at each other in silence. Tsunade dragged her arm on the ground, ready to strike. Hinata's left palm crackled with a horrific wail, the flapping noises becoming louder. Hinata's blue pupils showed her one last look of her children; one last look of the memories that defined her; one last look of the first night she had spent with her future husband; and one last look of that day when she set out with a goal and the desire to achieve it. Not just for her sake or her family's but for her entire village, and eventually for the one she loved more than anything in the world.

_I am Hinata…I will not be weak…Not anymore…_

The mottled wave spread on a bloody canvas collided with the one thousand souls of the divine eagle. Successive shockwaves passed through their surroundings. Anything within 100 yards of the impact was either obliterated or carried away by the intensity of the atmosphere. A mass of ether began to take shape and originated from the point of contact of the two jutsu. It expanded, growing larger and larger, devouring anything that dared to enter it. Hinata clenched her teeth, as blood began to flow from her nose. The skin on her hand was beginning to peel off, yet she held her own against the Godaime. Tsunade remained as savage as ever, and continued to push onwards, oblivious to the cracks that were now beginning to form on the hard-shell of blood. Both women were way past their limits. If anything, the word 'limit' had lost all meaning for them at that moment. Nothing was impossible, and yet, one of them would have to yield or perish.

"Shizune-san!! Stay back!" Yamato clutched onto the woman's right arm, determined to keep any living soul as far away from that sphere of darkness at all costs.

"TSUNADE-SAMA!!" Shizune reached out with her one free hand, trying her best to get to her sensei. "Let me go!!"

"Shizune-san!! Calm down," said Sakura as she held on to her fellow medic-nin's left arm. "If these shockwaves are any indication…You won't survive if you try to go to her!!"

"I know…But…But…" Shizune stopped her struggling and bowed her head down. _Please be alive, Tsunade-sama…_

Sakura let out a deep breath. A large cloud of sand accompanied the next tremor, and the three covered their eyes in response.

"This is ridiculous!! Who did you say was her opponent again?!" Yamato yelled above the din. He was the first one with Shizune when he heard that Jiraiya had already left the battle thoroughly drained. The two ran into Sakura on the outskirts of the forest, but the destruction that they bore witness to eventually caused them to delay their advance.

"Hyuuga Hinata!" Sakura felt the winds die down steadily and she lowered her arms. _Hinata-san…Tsunade-sama…What are you two—_

A scream broke out through the forest. It was high-pitched and somewhat influenced by a bird's undertones. "Is that—" Shizune began to speak but was cut off by Sakura.

"No…It's _her_ voice."

Hinata's Byakugan was spinning out of control, taking in a million sights at once. The sphere of ether began to recede and fade. The violent winds and earthquakes were beginning to cease. Her white armor began to crumble and the ash disappeared as soon as it touched the ground. The Tsumugari dissipated into thin air. Her white cloak slowly emerged from beneath the metal shell, still in one piece. Her heart-rate was erratic, and it seemed like she would go into an arrest at any moment. She felt the three Celestial Gates within her closing. The blue pupils that were set in her lavender eyes had already vanished, and with them, her dream world of memories and make-believe visions. The Hyuuga heiress felt her heart stabilize and her breathing return to normal. The burnt skin went unnoticed by her as she fell to her knees. Her maroon bodysuit was torn in several places with the portion around the abdomen missing entirely. The bandages incasing her arms had already been vaporized when she commenced the jutsu. Hinata closed her eyes, deactivating her Byakugan in the process and smiled wearily, just as blood began to trickle from her lips.

Tsunade had already closed the eight Celestial Gates and subsequently replaced her seal. She twitched with pain as her eyes rolled back forwards and took in the sights before her. The red rocky shell around her right arm crumbled into pieces and she felt her arm go limp. Her outfit was torn in several places but no lasting injuries were seen. "Well, this battle is over…" _I guess I win._ She looked at Hinata, who still had her eyes closed.

"I'm…glad…" Hinata fell onto her side after another meek smile came to her bloodied lips. Tsunade immediately rushed over to her and checked her vital signs.

_That jutsu, _she thought pensively. _If neither of us gave up, I'm still sure I would have won…And yet, despite her injuries and exhaustion, that Chidori was a hard hit…_Tsunade looked at the charred remains of the innocent girl's hand. _He taught you this move, didn't he…Hinata?_

"I'm…alright…Did…I win?"

Tsunade smiled and pushed aside the open strands of hair from her bloodied cheek. "Yeah. You won…cutie."

Hinata smiled once more before she lost consciousness. Tsunade tried to relax but felt another jolt of pain, this time from her spinal cord. It was then that Yamato, Sakura and Shizune arrived at the scene.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune ran to her mistress but was stopped from hugging the Godaime. Yamato examined the battlefield (or what was left of it) and shook his head nervously. The last time he saw a battle this intense was when Naruto took on Orochimaru using the Kyuubi's power. Sakura ran over and examined Hinata. She came to the same conclusion as her former mistress did and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Yamato, I want you to take Hinata-chan to the hospital as quickly as possible." Yamato nodded in understanding. Though having some difficulty at first because of her cloak, he eventually huddled her in his arms, simply unable to accept that this sleeping beauty had contributed to leveling a sizeable portion of the forest. He disappeared in a puff of smoke upon bowing to the Hokage. Tsunade smiled weakly. "Shizune…Sakura…" She felt it coming on, and it wasn't possible to hold it back.

Both Sakura and Shizune gasped but not because they were witnessing their mistress's true form. Just the fact that she had been forced to reveal her weathered old looks signified that she had to release the forbidden seal on her forehead. The two women walked up to her and said at the same time, "Yes, Tsunade-sensei?

"This is an A-Rank mission I'm giving you, and I want it done right now." She lost her footing and fell into the startled women's arms. "Get me home as fast as you can." _You did well, Hinata-chan…_The Godaime laughed a little before promptly falling asleep.

**

* * *

****Hours Later, at Konoha Hospital…**

Hinata lay on her hospital bed, her tattooed right arm attached to a heart beat monitor. Her pulse was a perfect 120 by 80 and her breathing was calm and relaxed. Inuzuka Kiba, with his faithful dog Akamaru absent, sat beside her resting place, arms crossed. He had another tough mission today, so he hadn't witnessed the 'special event' that took place at the stadium. However, when he arrived at Tenten's house an hour back, wishing to talk to Hinata for a bit, he found no one at home. It was only after many inquiries that he discovered what had happened. He rushed to Konoha Hospital as fast as he could, and almost broke the doors down when he finally got to Hinata's room. A concerned Tenten looked up from her side and gave a tearful greeting, before Lee offered to take her out for some dinner. This gave Kiba a chance to be alone with her.

_She looks so delicate, even after all this time. _Kiba placed his hand on her warm pale cheek. She was covered with a blanket from head-to-toe, wearing nothing more than a hospital robe. Such things didn't concern the Dog Nin however. His worry for a girl who had started as one of his best friends took precedence over his love for someone he considered to be a living angel. _Hinata…Why? What kind of battle took place? Why did you take on two difficult opponents, without any concern for your safety? _Kiba took her hand in his and brought it up to his forehead as he cupped it quietly. _I won't leave your side, Hinata._

Suddenly the door burst open as a smiling blonde teenager yelled loudly. "WASSSUUPPP?!"

Kiba fell out of his chair upon hearing the ruckus. He got up and proceeded to strangle the source of the noise. "Damn it, Naruto! Don't do that!!" His angry outburst was interrupted by a few muffled noises that Hinata made before she fell into even deeper slumber. "A-And…Keep your voice down…Hinata's trying to sleep…"

Naruto stopped his grinning, and walked up to the unconscious Hyuuga. "How long?"

"I don't know. I got here only an hour back. Apparently her match took place at noon and ended after about 40 minutes of intense fighting. That would make it almost 10 hours right?"

"Yeah." Naruto took lay on the floor just beside Hinata's bed and looked up at the blank colorless walls and ceiling. "That must be some kind of record though…Lasting for more than half an hour against a former Sannin…"

"Two," said Kiba as he returned to his seat.

"What?"

Kiba clasped her hand again. "She took on Jiraiya-sama as well. But from what I heard, her most intense fight was when she fought against Tsunade-sama alone."

Naruto looked upon Hinata once more. _The same Hinata who was beaten down by Neji, who wasn't even trying that hard, about 5 years ago…Held off two Sannin on her own? _Naruto then remembered something. _That reminds me…I'll have to pay that Ero-sennin back for not telling me about this…_

"Oh yeah. Naruto, weren't you supposed to be in Sunagakure?"

"I finished my mission and got back here using the Flying Thundergod jutsu." Naruto remembered the occurrences well. After utterly obliterating the One Tail, Shukaku, who was under Akatsuki's control, he helped clean up the remainder of the enemy ninjas and left the village after a few hours of observation. This was to make sure that Akatsuki didn't have any more surprises ready. Despite this, Naruto felt that he was beginning to understand what Akatsuki had in mind. Thanks to the seals he placed along the routes he took to get to the Hidden Village of Sand, he had managed to get back to Konoha in three hours flat. "I was supposed to protect Gaara, and I was to stay there only until my mission was done." He didn't want to admit it, but the real reason he came back was to find out the results of the Godaime's match against Hinata, as well as to put the Hokage on high alert as to what was going on with the Akatsuki. "Oh by the way, have you seen Oba-chan anywhere?"

"Tsunade-sama is currently resting at her home.' Sakura entered holding a clipboard. "She's being treated by Shizune-san."

"Is that so?" Naruto returned his attention to Hinata once more. Kiba, however, grew restless. At the same time, Tenten was making her way to the door for Hinata's room. Her hand stopped on the handle when she heard Kiba's concern.

""Sakura, how is she? Will she be alright? Will Hinata recover?" Tenten returned her hand to her side as she listened intently to the conversation.

"Don't worry," said the pink haired kunoichi with a smile. She walked over to Hinata's heart-rate monitor and began to note her vitals. "Hinata-san just needs a full 24 hours of rest. After that, she should be able to move about again." Sakura turned to the two shinobi, a serious look on her face. "However, she wasn't without her injuries."

Kiba stepped forward until he was eye-to-eye with Sakura. "Please tell me! I need to know her condition!"

Sakura's expression remained unchanged; however, seeing the worry on the Dog Nin's face prompted her to answer. She flipped through the few sheets attached to her clipboard. "Most of her injuries were internal, concentrated around the abdominal area.. She also had minor alveolar poisoning in the lungs, along with several swellings in her throat and mouth, due to the large response of histamines towards the ninja gas exhaled into her body." Kiba froze upon hearing that. Yet, Sakura continued. "External injuries are as follows—first degree burns on her left hand, excessive blood loss due to a deep wound on her left wrist, a fractured forearm, a deep cut on her left leg, several torn muscles in her back, arms, and feet…"

Kiba finally took a seat and had his face in his hands. Naruto simply looked upon the sleeping body of the Hyuuga heiress and complemented Sakura on a job well done at treating all of her injuries. Tenten cupped her mouth with her hands, trying to suppress the sobs that were now escaping her throat as her eyes were wide with shock. Sakura reached the last paragraph in her analysis. "Finally, severe chakra and stamina depletion had caused her to go into a minor comatose state. The strange thing is…She entered into this partial comatose state when she was battling Tsunade-sama alone in the forests…"

The blonde suddenly shot up when he heard the door open. He had sensed an unfamiliar presence, but was quickly relaxed when he saw Tsunade enter, with her arm around Tenten's crying head. "Sakura, is she alright?"

"Tsunade-sama! Have you fully recovered?"

"Of course. I sent Shizune to check on Jiraiya. I think he'll be okay in the morning." Tsunade looked her normal self and relinquished her hold on Tenten, who scurried over to Hinata and hugged her warm , pale body. Her sobbing left an awkward silence in the room. No words could comfort her at this time. Tsunade nodded at the three other shinobi, and they followed her to the rooftop of the hospital, away from any distractions.

"So, I'm guessing she forced you to release that seal of yours," said Naruto. "Seemed like a tough battle, Oba-chan."

Tsunade wasn't in the mood to get angry. The look on Naruto's face also indicated that he wasn't joking around. "Yes. But forget that for now. Naruto, I received word via messenger bird about what happened in Sunagakure."

Sakura looked at Naruto questioningly. "Does this have to do with the recalling of all envoys and shinobi of the Sand who were present in Konoha at the time?"

Naruto looked out at the town and its bright lights. "Yeah," he said bluntly. "Akatsuki's still active it seems. They attacked the Sand with an overwhelming force."

"Akatsuki?" The question was posed by Kiba. "I thought they already gave up their search for the tailed beasts."

He should know. Kiba, Shino, Lee, and Shikamaru were the ones who were assigned to take out two more members of Akatsuki. It was through the combined efforts of his new jutsu and Shikamaru's planning and Shadow Bind no Jutsu that he was able to eliminate the member named Tobi. That was only a couple of months ago when they heard news of the organization heading after the Five Tails, and since two more of their members had died, Akatsuki had gone dead silent.

"We don't know that for sure," said Tsunade. "We don't know what their plan is. It's scary just to think about how many shinobi they may have on their side. Starting tomorrow, we're going to keep the village in a state of lockdown. A curfew will be imposed from the morning till the night-time. It's during that time that I want all Konoha ninja to be on guard and patrol duty. Naruto, get the word out to all Roots and ANBU members. Hopefully, Danzo will cooperate with us…"

"A curfew?" Sakura looked her sensei with worry on her face. "But…won't that cause panic?"

Tsunade yawned and scratched the back of her head sarcastically. "Ah, I'll think of something…Maybe I'll level a few abandoned buildings and force them to stay insde for the sake of their own safety…Whatever…"

Kiba, Naruto and Sakura looked at the Godaime strangely. _Isn't that a bit reckless, _they thought simultaneously.

"Also, it seems," said the Godaime, as she gazed at the Hokage monument, "That I'll have to speak with Hiashi-sama regarding the Akatsuki."

"When do you plan to tell Hinata the truth, Oba-chan?"

Tsunade sighed and massaged her temples. _My battle with the cutie was tougher than I thought._ "She has to know sooner or later, and after seeing her power today, I think it's only right that I talk to Head of the Main Family about her assuming leadership. She could prove a powerful asset in the war against those monsters. I guess I should tell her about Neji as well—"

"W-What about Neji-nii-san?"

The party present on the rooftop immediately turned and saw Hinata, still dressed in her hospital robes. Blood was leaking out of her nose, and she was supported on one arm by Tenten. Nevertheless, she repeated her query, this time with more force. "W-What happened to Nii-san?"

Sakura looked back and forth between her sensei and her patient with panic. However, she smiled hesitantly and moved towards the pale Hyuuga. "Hinata-san, you shouldn't be moving right now. Let's take you back to your room for some rest shall we?"

Hinata kept her gaze solely fixed on Tsunade. She had no chakra left, and it felt as though she wasn't even moving with her own will. Yet, she had to find out what was going on. _Tsunade-sama, ever since I returned to this village, I haven't seen a single Hyuuga for miles. Not only that, but when I ask about Neji-nii-san, no one gave me a clear answer. I…I… _"T-Tsunade-sama," she said meekly, moving forward past Sakura, "P-Please. W-What happened to Neji-nii-san? What was the purpose of my c-clan's pilgrimage? Please…tell me."

Tsunade let out another deep sigh, before she motioned for Naruto and Kiba to get a chair for Hinata to rest on. As soon as the injured girl was comfortable, with Tenten by her side, clutching her hand, the Hokage started to speak.

"Hinata…Keeping in mind your health, and the fact that you really need to rest, I'm going to make this as short as possible. I want you to answer me truthfully, because only then can both of us benefit."

Hinata nodded weakly. "H-Hai."

"Hinata…For the past two years…Were you or were you not in contact with Uchiha Sasuke?"

Hinata tried to hide her blush. And failed miserably. "H-H-Hai…"

"What was the nature of your relationship?"

Tenten made to intervene but she was held back when Hinata squeezed her hand tightly. "W-We were training partners. A-And later on, w-we became b-best f-friends…" Hinata explained how she first met Sasuke, how he went by the name Raven and especially how he had trained so much with her and saved her life. It was because of him that she learned the Chidori and its advanced counterpart, the Flapping Chidori and also how he helped her to take full advantage of her summoning contract. However, she left out the parts about the Mangekyou Sharingan and how he had killed Orochimaru.

"I see…So that's how it was…And you're saying that he left you one month prior to the completion of your training?"

"H-Hai...D-Demo…T-Tsunade-sama…What does that have to do with Neji-nii-san?"

Tsunade gripped her hands tightly. This wasn't going to be easy to say but she had to say it. "Hinata, your cousin…Hyuuga Neji is dead."

**

* * *

****Midnight**

**The Land of Sound, Otogakure**

"Where's our back-up? The Sound Jounin leaped up to a nearby building and observed the wreckage. Several buildings were now laying in pieces and it had reached the point where the blood of the victims began to meld with the rubble.

The snake-masked ANBU looked upon his ally with a monotone voice. "He has made his way to the main gate, and has instructed us to take care of any enemies that may appear from other possible entrance routes. I trust the civilians have been evacuated to a safe location?"

"Well, if you can call Orochimaru's old hideout underground a safe place, then yes. But what could one man do against the brunt of Akatsuki's invading nins?"

His long black hair had been trimmed and it now resembled his look when he was still a student under the Snake Sannin. He had discarded the white robe, thick rope and black trousers. He now had a one-piece, full body black suit. The Kusanagi no Tsurugi lay strapped to his left shoulder while an atypical samurai blade was strapped onto his right shoulder. His hands had been bandaged, with two chakra switchblades attached to his hands. The Uchiha Clan symbol was now displayed prominently on the front of his outfit, while a red and blue yin-yang symbol was stitched onto the back. His hair fluttered as he opened his black eyes and looked upon the corpses that lay around him.

Uchiha Sasuke had been prepared for such a situation. A situation where Akatsuki's Ninja Reserves would attack a few days earlier than usual. Akatsuki was merely using these 'field tests' as a means to ascertain the progress of their respective shinobi, and if a potentially powerful, anti-Akatsuki village had been leveled during the process, all the better. But Sasuke knew better. He situated himself on the border between the Land of Sound and the Fire Country, waiting for a time when he would get the distress signal from Otogakure. Joyous by the fact that he murdered their slave driver and leader, Orochimaru, the ninjas of the Sound had provided him a safe haven before he met Hinata. Not only that, but they even unofficially accepted him as their new leader and commander. Short trips to the village were common when he was still Raven. He had their support in the fight against Akatsuki, because he looked upon them as shinobi-- not tools to be used or people to dote over, but soldiers who were human. After receiving the signal, he passed on word to Maxi to get his 'goods' ready and meet him at Otogakure.

_The time is now. I've done my part. Now, all that's left is to repel these bastards._

Footsteps were suddenly heard.. The rhythmic scrapping echoed through the pin-drop silence. _Have they seized the attack? No, this must be a diversion of some sort._

* * *

"W-W-What are y-you saying?!" Hinata tears overflowed, and she clutched Tenten's hand while looking pleadingly in her eyes. "T-Tenten-chan, t-tell me i-it's not true…" Tenten bit her lip and hugged Hinata desperately, the words 'Gomen ne' heard through her sobs. Tsunade could only watch stoically. She had to give Hinata time before she continued with her discourse. Naruto and Sakura merely stood as spectators, while Kiba was unsure of how to react.

"Hinata, no words could possibly tell you how bad I feel over your loss. But I must continue. Or else, you won't grasp the current situation."

Hinata looked upon her Hokage, eyes red from all the crying, and nodded roughly.

"Hyuuga Neji was sent on a mission about a month after you left. He was on a special assignment mission to the Lightning Country that merely involved investigating their geography at the time. Since his job was to observe the outskirts of the country, it was B-Ranked and he went alone. The mission was successfully completed and we even received word of his results. However, it was when he was on the border of the Lightning Country, enroute to Konoha that he met his demise."

Hinata bawled once more upon hearing this, but suddenly, a light went off in her head. _One month after my leaving, the border of the Lightning Country near the Fire Country…and the Land of Sound._

* * *

Sasuke took out a bandana, complete with a metal protector, from his pocket. He tightened it around his forehead, and activated his Sharingan. The symbol of the Leaf was back on his head. But just because he had it on, didn't guarantee that he would be accepted with open arms by his former village.

The footsteps had stopped. Amidst the smoke generated by nearby fire wreckage, Sasuke could discern four figures. One looked to be a woman; another was a giant with some kind of sword on his back; a man who it seemed had a bear-trap around his head; and a normal, lean figure with long hair. When the smoke cleared, the young Uchiha's eyes widened in surprise.

"Looks like he's not happy to see us, yeah. No matter…He won't be alive long to regret getting involved, yeah…." Deidara steeped forward, his husky voice chuckling. The mouths on his hands licked hungrily as he stared down Sasuke.

"Interesting…It seems as though he managed to defend this village, even after we got here…"

"**He looks like a tasty morsel."** Zetsu cackled with delight, when he realized that for once, both sides of him were in agreement. Sasuke now saw that he had a venus flytrap around his head. How far it exceeded and in what way it affected his body composition was unknown.

"Humph. So this little shrimp is 'Reaper'? I could shave off a couple of his limbs," said Kisame, as he brought his scaled Samehada before him with a sneer, "Before he even knew he was bleeding."

He had recognized all of these figures, with the exception of Zetsu, from before. The exploding clay fighter, the Monster of the Hidden Mist…which could only mean one thing. He narrowed his eyes to discern the last figure standing in the smoke. The youth's long hair was still as he looked on emotionlessly.

"It's been a while, brother."

* * *

"Hinata, when we recovered your cousin's body, he had shown signs of going through a major battle. He had several of his critical areas ruptured, not mention to many external wounds. However, one injury was most noticeable out of them all." Tsunade paused, as if picturing the body of the former Hyuuga prodigy in her mind, and then continued. "He had a hole on the right side of his body, which damaged his right lung and prevented him from using any more hand-to-hand combat moves."

_No...It can't be…_

Hinata looked at Tsunade, her tears plastered on her frozen expression of grave fear. "T-Tsunade-sama…A-Are you…Are you saying—"

Tsunade brought her hand up. "It's merely a theory, but judging by the second battle that had taken place and the reports of 'certain figures' turning up dead in the Lightning Country, several kilometers from it's borders, it seems that Uchiha Sasuke was there. However, he wasn't the one who killed Neji." Hinata was even more confused but the Godaime continued. "After examining details surrounding the body when it was brought in about 2 days after his death, and cross-referencing it with information that Jiraiya provided me regarding Akatsuki, I was able to determine the nature of the injury. It had been caused by fire, but not any ordinary fire. If the rescue squad hadn't used a special fire-sealing scroll, the flames would have continued to burn for, what I'm told, seven days and seven nights. Also, I checked other reports and rumors and—"

"Tsunade-sama," interrupted Hinata, "I…I don't understand. If Sasuke…If Sasuke-kun didn't kill Neji-nii-san…then w-who did?!"

* * *

Sasuke drew both of his weapons from there sheaths and crossed them, his voice dripping with venom, as he faced the opponent before him.

"Uchiha…Itachi…."

**

* * *

**

**Author's Notes: **What do you guys think? Oh, since I've started my new job, there may not be that many updates, but I promise that the next three chapters will be out as soon as possible. No doubt that many people will have questions regarding the Divine Valkyrie jutsu as well as to what exactly is going on (what, you didn't think that Neji's death was the only thing Hinata's friends were hiding from her do you?). Stay tuned, because things are only gonna get more serious!

**Another Promise of a Lifetime! Akatsuki's 'Other' Plan! Fight for Survival? Maxi's Invention Revealed! Next! Chapter 9: Invasion!**


	10. Chapter 9: Invasion

**My Eyes**

By Shiranui the Brave

**Author's Notes: **Wow, I am really, _really _late with this chapter (especially considering that I said I'd try to get this out early). For that I'd like to apologize. I've been pre-occupied with my job, since it's the beginning and it is my first job, so I want to do my best. Hopefully, the story in this chapter will get you guys interested again, by both answering questions and posing some new ones as well. Thanks to everyone who reviewed Chapter 8, but I'd really appreciate some constructive criticism whenever possible. Oh well, enjoy!

* * *

The bright and shining moon was visible to each and every soul of the ninja world. Shinobi young and old, whether in love or consumed by hate, had taken to its shine. Hyuuga Hinata, the heiress of the Hyuuga Clan—only a few days ago mesmerized by the eerie yet comforting arms of the pale light, now found herself in the darkness, unsure of which way to walk. Uchiha Sasuke, one of the survivors of the Uchiha Clan—a man with a purpose, one for whom failure and danger was waiting at every step, yet with no other choice, he made to walk towards the light, no matter what. The village of Konoha thought it knew peace in those years after the Kyuubi had been sealed inside the infant, Uzumaki Naruto, who was later revealed to be the son of the Yondaime Hokage, Kazama Arashi, and yet they hadn't a clue that they were to be the epicenter of a new war. One where nations and enemies meant nothing and the only thing that mattered was victory at any cost.

Such things were inconsequential at the moment, for in this forest blowing with the winds of silence and the melodies of purpose, a lone soul, one engulfed in both light and darkness, walked.

His black cloak with red clouds had already been thoroughly ravaged in his last battle with Konoha Ninjas. He was proud to know that the Leaf possessed such talented and powerful shinobi, as Rock Lee, Aburame Shino, Nara Shikamaru, and of course, Inuzuka Kiba. The only items of clothing left with him now were his jet-black shinobi clothing and his black and white spiral-patterned mask. Not wanting to take any chances with having his identity discovered, he chose to keep the horrid thing having over his face.

Tobi, an Akatsuki member thought to be killed by the shinobi of the Leaf, laid back against a tree somewhere to the far south of Konoha. Memories of his life as a ninja brought with them painful feelings of inferiority and frustration, along with the loss of loved ones and—

He punched the tree next to him, causing numerous leaves to fall in a shower around him. It was decided that he would try to collect his thoughts. Sitting on the soft, breezy green grass with his legs crossed, he meditated carefully, thinking back to the earliest and most recent times in his mind.

_The time I was saved and trained by the Leader behind the backs of the other Akatsuki members…_

That was until Sasori's death when he was sent to report on his condition and subsequently take his place. But then in those days, the organization had barely started out, one of the main people being Orochimaru in the beginning. In that time, only Itachi had come to discover his existence and true identity. Nevertheless, he chose to leave him be.

_That day only a few months ago when the Konoha-nins had come to kill me and Shiori… _

Okay, maybe not kill him—just kill Shiori and then take him in for questioning, since they assumed he was the weaker of the two. Granted, he had yet to fully prove himself in Akatsuki, but a few brats calling him weak when they knew next to nothing about him struck a nerve in more ways than one. Tobi took it upon himself to give these youths a workout, but no thanks to his partner's psychotic tendencies, it became a full-on war.

_The Inuzuka lad…_

At that time, Kiba and his faithful white mutt unleashed a jutsu that had him shaking in his knees. How else could one react when they came face-to-face with something like that? The young Akatsuki member had fought against tailed beasts, but nothing could quite compare to those eyes—blood-thirsty, carnivorous and filled with pure, unhindered rage. Such a jutsu no doubt had a negative effect, if not more than one, on Kiba. _Of course, if Deidara-senpai could outwit a Mangekyou doujutsu using a clone, than so can I, _he thought proudly, remembering how he avoided that lethal finisher that Kiba had used. Luckily, no trace would be left of its target when the technique hit, so any doubts about him being dead stayed that way. The fact that Akatsuki gave two hoots about the death of its individual members also helped, though he was sure the leader must have felt much disappointment.

Tobi sat up, and looked out in the direction where he was sure Konoha was located.

_Deidara-senpai…Looks like I developed an unwanted habit in my time at Akatsuki…_

He never displayed his true abilities in front of anyone but the leader and Itachi, and even then, he hadn't even scratched the surface of his limits. He thought he found his place next to the kind man who saved him and the strict yet prideful man who he looked upon as a brother. A place in a group that was focused on changing the world for the better, despite employing such vicious and cruel methods.

If only he hadn't seen what he shouldn't have seen, he would still be trapped in that blissful illusion. He wouldn't have known anything about clan assassinations or natural selection or world domination or meaningless destruction.

But now, he couldn't go back. Not to his life in Akatsuki nor to his life before he had joined. Nor could he act like he didn't owe God anything for sending the leader at the right place and at the right time to save him.

Now was the time to act. The time when the Ninja Reserves would be unleashed upon the five main Hidden Villages.

Now was the time for him to fight.

And with his will set, he casually got up, brushed his short-spiky hair back and proceeded to travel towards Konoha.

**Chapter 9: Invasion**

**Hokage Tower, Konohagakure**

**2:00 AM, Monday**

"_A shinobi must kill his or her emotions; they are after all nothing more than tools to be used in combat. But to be the greatest ninja of all, the Hokage, you must look after your people with love and understanding. Even in times of death, a Hokage must stand strong and ready to rise above all sadness." Grandfather…I understand the irony of those words now…_

The Godaime Hokage and the Slug of the Legendary Three looked out of her office at the bright sky. The moon stood as sentry, with its semi-translucent blue light streaming in through her window. The whole town was caught in the bellows of their dreams, and if they had bothered to look upon the floor her office was on, they'd believe the same of her. But tonight was not a great night. Tsunade stood in her darkness-furrowed room with concern, as Naruto, Sakura and Shizune kept her company. The events of last night caused her to withdraw into a shell of silence; her contemplation shifted to a certain young Hyuuga when she gazed upon the Hokage monument.

Upon hearing the news of her cousin's death two hours ago, Hinata fled from the group on the roof of Konoha Hospital as fast as she could. Her crying had only magnified tenfold. Her body cried out as well, so much in need of rest her trembling and battered frame was. Tenten followed her and later sent word that the two of them were talking things out on the monument range. Hinata didn't seem to care for her injuries—she began pounding the ground, with closed fists, yelling Neji's name over and over again, until they were badly swollen. Her young bun-haired friend had already cried every night for a year when she heard of her one true love's death, and just when she felt that she would never be able to cry again, no matter how dire the consequences came to be, there she was, clutching on to Hinata's arms draining the last bit of salt out of her eyes. As a doctor, Tsunade knew that she should retrieve the Hyuuga heiress against her will (to which Kiba was more than adamant upon doing). After all, no one, no matter how expertly they had been healed, could last in such a state of exhaustion for long. But as a woman, the kunoichi had already done her part. Now all that was left was for time to patch the gloom enveloping the angelic Hyuuga's heart.

Unfortunately, the Hokage in her job was unfinished. _Is that my fault? She did run away before I could tell her everything but…Aw hell!_

Tsunade mildly scratched the back of her head, her fingers twitching from the desire to smash something. If only Hinata knew what was really going on. If only Hinata knew that Itachi killing Neji wasn't just a fluke (though Akatsuki members being in the Lightning Country could vouch for that). If only Hinata knew that her entire clan was in danger. If only—

A scraping sound suddenly vibrated through the thin pane of glass. Tsunade opened her eyes and squinted very hard to see it._ That same black sparrow from before_, she thought, as she opened the window. Naruto and the others stood up and inquired what was wrong, but all they met with was silence. After exchanging worried looks with Sakura, Shizune walked up to her mistress and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. She had assumed that her sensei and dear friend was only human and wanted some fresh air to relieve her stress but on closer inspection, she spotted the Godaime shaking, with a brown parchment in her hands.

"Tsunade-sama…Is something the matter?"

Tsunade turned around, avoiding her assistant's gaze and firmly planted herself in her chair. After placing both her elbows on the table, crossing her hands and closing her eyes in a meditative pose, she let out one big sigh.

"Sakura, gather all of our strongest shinobi, regardless of their rank. Naruto, alert all ANBU members. Shizune, I want the village evacuated and all civilians inside Hokage Monument by daybreak," she said calmly.

Naruto was puzzled but it was his fellow team-mate who spoke out. "T-Tsunade-sama…What's going on?!"

Tsunade's eyes shot open and her hands tightened into a sledge.

"Konoha is going to be destroyed."

* * *

**  
Otogakure**

**One Hour Earlier...**

"_Well isn't this just convenient?" Sasuke bent down and smirked evilly. "Seems you've picked your last fight, Hyuuga."_

_It was pretty unbelievable at first. Here was Sasuke who along with Orochimaru and Kabuto, had to traverse the Lightning Country in order to avoid the pursuit of Konoha's ninjas, more specifically one blonde moron who couldn't take a hint. Just as he entered the national borders, he sensed three chakra signatures—two abnormally high, one nearly fading. Upon inspection, his curiosity turned to satisfaction, because lying before him was the elite Hyuuga genius, Hyuuga Neji, with several wounds on his body and a singed gaping hole in his chest._

"_Uchiha…Sasuke…? Is… that…you?" Neji coughed, as blood drained out of his mouth. His pure white robes were completely stained and his pale skin was becoming colder by the second. "Thank…goodness…"_

"_Thank goodness? How interesting. I'm guessing that this really must be you're end if you've begun to grovel before me of all people." This was just too much for the young man. He knew that compared to an Uchiha, even the greatest geniuses in the universe classified as barely average, but to see one such as Neji beaten within an inch of his life was simply splendid. The almighty know-it-all reduced to a mess, thought Sasuke. Did your white eyes see this coming, Hyuuga?_

"_Heh…Yeah…Uchiha…You look strong…Stronger than me…But your soul…Yes…I can still see…Still in the darkness…Still suffering…" Neji smiled weakly as tears came to his eyes. "Uchiha…when you feel the need…to reclaim your soul…Promise me…you'll look after her…Look after them all…but her most all…_

"_H-Hinata…" The tears fell down his dying cheeks as the memory of another came to his mind, her cheeky smile and brown eyes making his heart skip a beat. "If we…m-meet…in another…life…I-I would have…spent…every moment with…you…Protect her too…Sasuke-san." Neji vomited a bit more blood out before his eyes widened. A fearful look, containing both resignation and contentment, was set upon his solemn face as he smiled widely. As if he had died happy. _

_Heh. Protect the weak? Such pathetic ideals. Speaking of which…_ Sasuke looked a few meters ahead of, still sensing the two chakra signatures from before. _I guess I should give my thanks to whoever freed the world of this elitist nuisance…_

_Bad, _thought Sasuke, as he cleaned the blood off of the Kusanagi no Tsurugi. _The only word to summarize this situation is bad._

Everything was going according to plan. He destroyed a majority of the ninja reserves so that Konoha could have a fighting chance. Even if Akatsuki were to attack a few days earlier, he would have still been ready for them. But attacking Konoha in just a few hours? And that too when he was more than a few hundred kilometers away? Luckily, Maxi had already arrived, and had rendezvoused with him after his battle with his brother. Sasuke snickered bitterly at the thought as he recalled the 'battle' he had with the four members of Akatsuki an hour earlier.

He had managed to dispose of all of them within only ten minutes, the main resistance being put up by their team attacks. After taking down Itachi at the last, he found that all four of them reverted back to their original forms. _Transferring a part of the soul of a shinobi, along with a wide arsenal of his skills and powers…This is no doubt their leader's work. _The bodies before him were nothing more than ordinary missing-nins, each with a look of horror on their face. _Seems the process isn't exactly gentle…Or could it be that they shared many of the same senses with the shinobi spirits? That would explain why Itachi's power was so limited._

"_Those eyes…Those aren't an Uchiha's eyes…Do you expect to beat me having eyes like that?" his elder brother stood stationary, waiting for his remark to have the required effect._

"_Jokes aside, brother," said Sasuke he waved the manipulative attempt away, which caused a flicker of surprise to appear in Itachi's eyes, "I know what you're planning…And I think it's absolutely insane. Killing our parents…Killing our entire clan…That was your entrance exam for joining Akatsuki, right?"_

_Itachi said nothing as his comrades stayed close to him, ready to unleash their attacks if Sasuke even twitched strangely._

"_But I know the truth now. It wasn't just your exam. It was one part of your plans that is to rid the ninja world of any forces who could pose a threat to Akatsuki's existence. The remaining Seven Swordsmen of the Mist were taken care of by that shark, right?" Kisame grinned a razor-sharp set of teeth once more upon hearing his name, which was all the confirmation Sasuke needed. "And you took out the Uchiha. How ironic that you left yourself, the clan's strongest, alive, don't you think? Even more ironic that you two have been put in charge of exterminating the last remaining clan threat to Akatsuki… the Hyuuga…" Sasuke's eyes converted to his crimson laced Sharingan, the three tomoe spinning wildly. "I won't let that happen!!"_

It was only after his battle that the dying corpse of his 'brother' had revealed the truth to him.

"_Congratulations, brother…You've finally—"_

"_I've gained nothing from killing you," said Sasuke, as his eyes returned to normal. "Our clan's deaths…Mom and Dad…They're just bad memories…I have a new life now, Nii-san. And I can't let any one take it away from me. Not even if I have to face an entire shinobi country to ensure that." His left shoulder stung with pain as he clutched it tightly to stifle the blood loss. "Operation: Rewrite is a failure, Itachi."_

"_On the contrary, little brother," said Itachi, as he smiled slightly, "It's about to begin."_

_Sasuke froze as his sword fell to the ground. No…Could it be that…_

"_A few hours from now and at a great distance away… At our old home, in fact. Konoha…" Itachi blinked as blood trickled out of his split skull. "30,000 Akatsuki shinobi…From all sides…there will be no escape. It has begun, brother… The end of Konoha…The end of the Hyuuga…The end of the world…But if you still want to save them…Then run fast, little brother…"_

_No. It won't happen, Itachi, _said Sasuke to himself as he finished writing a note to the Godaime Hokage, which he was preparing to send to her by his swift and loyal black sparrow. _I won't let it._

"Yo Sasuke," said Maxi, as he appeared behind Sasuke, dressed in a bronze chakra armor. Several strange items were attached and concealed inside the suit's compartments weighing down the teen's movement, but he appeared to be at ease. "Your buddies are ready to go. When do we move out?"

Sasuke stood up and looked back on the village of Sound. Now nothing more than a pile of wreckage, he had commanded several members of the Hittori clan to protect the remaining civilians in the caves below the village until they received further orders. Right now, however, his job was far from over. Sheathing both of his weapons, the raven-haired Uchiha walked beside Maxi to his awaiting army.

_Wait for me, Hinata. I'm coming._

* * *

**  
Hokage Monument, Konohagakure**

**3:00 AM**

"Neji-Nii-san," mumbled Hinata, as she shuffled a little bit in Tenten's lap. The warmth of the small girl gave Tenten comfort as she stroked her hair gently. The Weapons Mistress knew that Hinata would forgive her; after all, she wasn't the kind to hold petty grudges. But would she be able to forgive Sasuke? _Sasuke, _thought Tenten pensively. _What am I saying? _It still seemed so surreal—Hyuuga Hinata and Uchiha Sasuke being best friends, almost as close to each other as her and…A light went off in her head as she looked upon her blissful companion one more. _Maybe they…?_

"Nee…chan?" A small voice suddenly echoed throughout the darkness. Tenten froze; though she was uncertain, it had a certain tone to it…Lilting, yet composed. Hopefully, it wasn't an enemy. Sitting on a bench in the darkness with a hospital patient in her lap, she wasn't exactly in the best position to counter-attack.

A figure almost as tall as her appeared, holding a candle and a picture in both her hands. Her shoulder-length, brown hair drooped like a tapestry around her neck and parted in the middle of her forehead, as her white robes shone brightly. Her face was oval, almost narrow in outline and her nose was pert and petite. Her snow-white skin and pallid eyes made it known who she was.

"H-Hanabi-chan?" The young pre-teen walked steadily towards the spot the two were occupying. When she reached the slumbering girl, a quivering, cold hand reached out towards her face. Gentle strokes made upon her cheek, then onto her forehead and finally resting upon her head preceded her silent tears. She smiled weakly and cuddled her older sister with love.

"Nee-chan…Hinata-Nee-chan," Hanabi cooed. She sniffed inaudibly, her frigid tears falling on to her sibling's face. She collected herself after some time, and handed Tenten the picture she was carrying. As Tenten recognized the man in the photo, Hanabi spoke. "You know it's a difficult habit to break…Even during these hard times…"

Tenten nodded. The quaint nature of Hanabi was always a refreshing contrast to Hinata. She knew that the young girl was referring to her praying. Just like her, Hanabi had always prayed for Neji's soul to find peace every day since he died. This was probably the first time that the Branch Family and the Main Family of Hyuuga had come to an agreement—that Neji's memory should not be spoken of with silence or lies, like his father's. But there were more pressing matters at hand.

"Hanabi…I thought—"

"I know, Tenten-chan. There are much better places to hide then Hokage Monument, but Tsunade-sama decreed it to be the most secure area in the shinobi world at the moment. Any other place would have meant an open season for Akatsuki. At least we're in a place she can see us…If that's of any comfort," she said sarcastically.

Tenten looked at her lap's 'guest' once more. _Would Tsunade-sama have told her about that?_

"It's not as big," said Hanabi, as she pointed to a large mansion higher up the mountain, "As the Hyuuga complex, but I'm sure there's room for… What am I saying…? There's always room for you and Nee-chan. I'm sure Oto-sama would be happy to see her as well. Shall we?"

Tenten smiled gratefully, knowing that Hinata needed a proper place to rest. She was coughing a little blood when she first arrived on the monument, which meant her internal bleeding was in danger of manifesting once more, despite the treatment she received. Besides, she deserved to be with her family after such a long time. It was hard to believe that she had only been back for three days…and already she was like this. _Would Neji have been proud to see you fight, Hinata-chan? Would your family be happy to hear that you nearly lost your life in that battle? _She shook her head as Hanabi helped her sister onto Tenten's back so that she could carry to the house not too far away. Akatsuki was the main concern right now…And there was no doubt that they would come after Hinata as well.

X

**6:00 AM…**

**Konohagakure…**

**Akatsuki…**

A thin mist had obscured the sunlight in the sky, but visibility was more or less clear. The village of Konoha had already been abandoned, with all its residents on their way to the Hokage Monument for shelter. Kiba and Shino, along with other Chuunins, escorted them, with the Dog Nin wondering if he would meet Hinata on top of the monument. Since he was instructed to lead the villagers in by the veiled tunnels that moved up to the insde of the hulking mass of rock, and then immediately report back to the village to assist in battle, that didn't seem likely. Across the village, Ino, wearing her trench-coat (that only members of Konoha's Special Interrogation Squad had) with two crossbows hidden in the sleeves and several stake launchers concealed within the fabric, stood guard; Chouji, her team-mate and best friend, was wearing a large shogun-like suit of armor, with two wooden cudgels strapped to his back. A long-range warrior backing up a melee-based striker—just as they're Base of Operations in-charge wanted.

Sakura walked out of her house, without locking the door. Her mother had already been safely evacuated. Now, if any Akatsuki shinobi were dumb enough to come looking for them, they'd find a gift in the form of several liters of kerosene and multiple exploding tags. She had her hair braided into a small ponytail that barely reached her neck, as her thick, green Special Jounin vest was loaded with scrolls, shurikens and of course, surgical instruments and medical supplies. The small packet of soldier pills insured her that neither she nor her partners would run out of stamina too soon. Maito Gai and Rock Lee were already pumped up, and why shouldn't they be? The Godaime probably gave them the 'be-all, end-all' youthful challenges, which they accepted within a second. Despite being proud of his hot-headed apprentice, Gai still felt a tinge of worry in his heart, right next to his desire to sacrifice himself, ten times over if need be, if it meant keeping Lee alive.

Tsunade walked towards the Hokage Tower and proceeded to enter into the basement, where other strategists and the in-charge of this makeshift fortress had resided.

"Are our positions secured? Good, I'll need twelve ANBU to set up here," said Shikamaru as he commanded the village's forces. "Ino and Chouji are already in place. Naruto will complete his other task before moving into his position. Sakura…Tell her not to overdo it in battle. She's one of the best medic-nins we have, so she needs to preserve her chakra. I wish I had Tenten here beforehand. Could've made great use of her weapons…What a pain— Ah, Hokage-sama," he said, as Tsunade entered into the room. With a nod, she beckoned him to continue.

"I already heard everything. Just tell me where the most enemies will be. Also, any clue about summons?"

"It seems Jiraiya will have to sit this one, but even if he has to, he'll fight. Summoning will be difficult for him, due to chakra depletion, but Naruto said he'll take care of that," said Shizune, who was busy strapping a pair of needle launchers onto her ankles.

"Good," said Tsunade as she put on a pair of knuckle-dusters; insurance, in case she ran into smaller, less powerful foes that she didn't want to waste chakra on. Given that the opponent was Akatsuki that would have been a god-send. "Listen well, and relay this order to all commanders: We are to keep the enemy at bay! I don't want any unnecessary heroics! We must hold them off for as long as possible, and that can only be achieved if our forces survive. Ranged attacks will be the preferred means of attack, with our taijutsu experts eliminating anyone who gets too close. What are our chances of success, Jounin Shikamaru?"

"Err…12 percent?"

"Ossu!" Tsunade grinned as she raised her clenched fist in the air. "Let's do it!" Naturally, this didn't provoke a very good response from the small gathering, but on climbing the staircase, her foot-steps lagged, until she came to a stop. A fist with no chakra slammed against the wall as she bit back her tears.

_Grandfather…Granduncle… Sarutobi-sensei…Arashi…Naruto…Please…Protect everyone in this village…_

X

Several knocks came at the door of the large residence where the Hyuuga were currently staying. Hiashi, his senses on full-alert and killer-amount of chakra stored in his palms, came to the door. Making out the owner of the house, he slid the entrance open and greeted him with a nod.

"Uzumaki Naruto, is everything going well?"

Naruto, whose red and white cape blew to his side from the slight breeze of the closed door, walked into the Kazama Clan's house, one he had inherited once he found out his true heritage. "Yes. And you, Hiashi-sama? I hope you have not been inconvienced by your stay here."

Hiashi and Naruto walked side by side, almost equal in height, as they quietly discussed the current situation. It was true—Akatsuki were going to approach from all directions. If they were lucky, they could probably eliminate one-fifth of their forces using Ninjutsu and projectile attacks. The civilians had already been transported to Hokage Monument's various catacombs and were safe for the time being, with Shino and Yuuhi Kurenai keeping watch over them. It was as of yet unconfirmed just what level of ninja they could expect from the organization, but their sheer numbers were more of a worry at this point. The blonde came to inform the Hyuuga Clan of the situation, along with fetching the Weapons Mistress for battle. Nonetheless, Naruto wanted to know how Hinata was doing. He was led to a single room, where the young heiress was sleeping peacefully, with both Hanabi and Tenten on either side of her, as the three kunoichi shared one futon. He smiled and closed the door slowly.

"I heard about her match with Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama," said Hiashi, his eyes still fixed on the door to his daughters' room.

"And?"

Hiashi smiled faintly. "I only wish her mother were still alive to see her now. Though, I'm confident that she would never forgive me if she saw her current health."

Naruto's face turned serious, as he placed a hand on the Hyuuga leader's shoulder. Hiashi felt a bit awkward, since no one had ever shown him this kind of camaraderie before. "Hiashi-sama, I will protect this village and your family at all costs. For Neji, Hanabi, Hinata and for you. I will destroy Akatsuki once and for all." He removed his hand and smiled modestly. "I promise you. Oh yes, the duty for safe-guarding this complex has already been assigned, though I'm not sure when he'll arrive."

"Ah. Thank you…Naruto. I'm still not sure what we can do against such horrible forces. And they are Akatsuki after all—"

A loud explosion followed by a low rumbling broke out, just as small streams of sunlight seeped in through the windows. Naruto looked to Hiashi and the two ran to the front door of the Kazama manor. As the sun shone faintly on the horizon before them, they looked out into the distance with awe.

X

"Whoa," said Ino, as her eyes widened considerably. Her grip on the railing of the wooden watch tower loosened for a second. Chouji's eyes narrowed as he took out a cudgel, as if daring the enemy to come closer. But in truth, even he was unsure of how much could be done.

X

"So," said Tsunade, her thin green coat fluttering in the wind as she stood atop Hokage Tower. "They're here." She disappeared in a flash, gradually working her way towards her designated spot.

* * *

Sasuke looked at the note before him, carried back by his carrier sparrow. He met Maxi's eyes and inquired, "How long till we reach Konohagakure?"

"We've already crossed the border between the Land of Sound and the Fire Country. I'd say an hour, give or take ten minutes."

His onyx eyes lit up as he crumpled the note, surprised by its directions. Granted they were only two words, but he knew the significance behind them.

_My first day back, and already they give me a mission. Hmph._

* * *

"Release the ballistas!"

"Katon: Great Fireball no Jutsu!" Kakashi placed his fingers to his lips and ignited each of the projectiles. He then ran from one to the other, tripping the levers to release the flaming rocks towards the opposition. Several of the Akatsuki shinobi moved out of the way, but many more were caught and burned to a crisp. The various regiments broke out into a sprint, making their way towards the walls of Konoha. Fortunately, there was only one gate into Konoha, and it was sealed shut. Standing before the gate was the group of Sakura, Kiba, Gai, Lee and Tsunade. The rogue ninjas didn't stop and continued to surge ahead, brandishing numerous scythes, swords, kitanas, kunai, and shuriken. Kiba stepped forward, his fangs and claws four inches longer than usual, and his eyes pupiless. Akamaru flashed a dangerous shade of red that was so dark one could mistaken it for black.

"COME ON, AKAMARU," snarled Kiba angrily. Kiba made numerous seals at break-neck speed, before kneeling down to Akamaru's level. The dog and shinobi were enveloped with blue chakra as Kiba snarled once more. "INUZUKA STYLE FORBIDDEN TECHNIQUE: WEREWOLF REBORN NO JUTSU!!"

_The same move he used to kill that Akatsuki member, _thought Lee still in his Gouken stance. _I thought he'd save that for last but there may not be a last!_

Kiba and Akamaru's white silhouettes merged slowly amidst a blinding light. A flash emanated throughout the land, throwing the invaders off-balance. That was all the duo need. Before they could refocus, a large black animal, standing on two legs, leapt forward, brandishing a pair of white pillar-like claws.

"Diamond Fang!!"

The creature brought its arm down and tore through an Akatsuki Nin, before the shockwave ripped through and proceeded to dismember any one within 12 feet of him in a straight line. Blood decorated the air with its residue painting the creature's fur. When Tsunade and her troop opened their eyes, they were instantly terrified. Rough bristling fur that was like razor sharp blades, an elongated snout with about a hundred fangs, a hulking muscular mass with enormous arms and claws, and the most deadly eyes one could imagine met them. The beast was snarling, saliva dripping off its lower lip, but then smiled, and gave the thumbs-up.

"Let's go, Hokage-sama!" Kiba's voice could be vaguely made out from the monstrous cacophony. The Godaime patted Sakura once before leaping into the air. The pink haired kunoichi punched the ground with both her hands, sending a large number of rocks at her opposition, while Tsunade was making to land somewhere in the crowd, her leg cutting downwards. An enormous explosion accompanied by the flying bodies of several ninjas was seen. Lee and Gai disappeared in a flash and made for Tsunade.

"Aside, meaningless doormats," Gai yelled triumphantly, his white teeth flashing in a blinding smile. Lee laughed as the student and teacher cleared a clean path, punching, kicking and head-butting shinobis left and right. They appeared with their backs to each other and to Tsunade, as the Akatsuki ninjas began to surround them. "Hokage-sama! We are here to show these fools what happens when you mess with the youthful exuberance that is Konoha!"

"Ossu!! Shine with us, Hokage-sama, as we show them the true power of the Leaf," said Lee.

Tsunade couldn't help but grin. "For once, I agree with your babbling…Come on, you bastards!!"

Kiba stood before the gate, clearing out shinobi after shinobi with his claws, but eventually the numbers game caught up to him, and he was quickly overwhelmed. All he could see where black and red cloaks all over him, as they began to pile up on top of his black body. The werewolf snickered with arrogance.

"Howling Fang!!"

Kiba burst out from the group, his body spinning like a giant dark torpedo, effectively dicing his unlucky adversaries in a mish-mash of blood and limbs. He weaved back and forth through the crowd, clearing out several enemies by detecting their individual smells. As his spinning stopped, his elongated ears and extra-sensitive hearing caused him to leap upwards, seconds before dozens of shurikens and kunai landed at his feet. A large body collided with him in mid-air, and proceeded to stab him with its oversized sword. Kiba ignored the motions and heaved the man into the crowd; he then landed feet first on the man, crushing his body in two. Surrounded once more by Akatsuki Nin, he snarled with anger, not once letting up his thirst for blood.

Sakura punched a ninja in the mouth, before kneeing another in the stomach, causing him to vomit several liters of his blood. One of them caught her from behind, as two others had their swords ready to strike. She clutched onto her grappler's forearm and lifted her legs, planting both boots into her attackers' faces. Their bodies fell to the ground, along with most of their facial features, as Sakura grabbed her assailant's head. She stuck a third-degree exploding tag to it and hurled him into the crowd, away from her sensei and friends. A large number of debris colored the sky after the deafening explosion but she still found herself under attack. A dual handaxe-wielding shinobi suddenly appeared in front of her, catching her off guard.

Crossing both of his axes, he swiped at her belly. Though the sharp metal narrowly missed her, she still clutched her stomach in pain. A brief hint of chakra could be fathomed from the blade. _Chakra axes, _she thought to herself, trying her best to ignore the burning hot pain in her stomach. He spun around and attempted to kick her in her new-found weak spot, but Sakura grabbed his leg before that could happen, and promptly dislocated it at the knee-cap. A howl of pain escaped the man's lungs before Sakura used her other chakra-endowed hand to crush his throat. Upon his death, she peered at her stomach and began to make repairs to the damaged flesh and tissue using medical ninjutsu. The young cherry blossom's task was barely achieved when she was assaulted from all three sides at once. Dropping to her feet at the last instant, she balanced herself on her hands as her legs spread out in midair, and then proceeded to twist her legs. Sakura looped her hands in and out of the Chakra Scalpel-powered leg sweeps in a gymnastics-like routine. Her opponents were unable to maintain their balance, having their Achilles tendons and shin muscles affectively sliced by the young medic-Nin. Launching herself into the air, she threw several shuriken and kunai to finish the job before her enemies knew what hit them.

Sakura landed on her feet once more, clutching a scroll with her teeth, as she went through the handseals for another attack.

_Just…Too…Many…! _

X

On the west side of the village, the Akatsuki shinobis had already made their way up the walls of the village. Ino dispatched them, unleashing two sets of four arrows at a time towards a group, as her supporting allies unleashed several ninjutsu upon the unfortunate Akatsuki assassins. She threw her trench-coat into the invading crowd after pulling a thread to unleash the stakes hidden inside. The coat rained down projectiles on her enemies, killing both those at the bottom and those climbing the walls.

She pointed her now visible crossbows at an oncoming enemy, but was greeted by a loud clicking noise.

_No! Not now! _

The enemy ninja smirked and leaped on top of her, as he brought his kunai to her neck. Ino had her hands together in a square-shaped seal, just before he assaulted her. As he laughed and gave a smooching gesture with his lips, she screamed, half-determined, half-afraid, "Mind Confusion no Jutsu!"

Her enemy immediately stopped and turned his attention towards his comrades. He took out his kitana and stabbed those coming over the wall before throwing himself back down to his death. Ino loaded a dagger into each of her crossbows and crushed the launching mechanism, jamming them inside. Her left palm was placed on top of her right fist, and she closed her eyes.

"Mind Coexist no Jutsu," she said, before opening her eyes, and looking at each of her oncoming foes. She stabbed a man in the gut, when he made to cut her neck, and kicked another enemy down into the village, his body crumpling from the fall. _As long as I don't make a sound, they won't know I can read their thoughts. _It was easier said than done, though. How could one keep their thoughts on a leash, especially in the midst of such a battle?

_I must…Or Konoha will fall!_

The Akatsuki Nin who made it inside the village were being picked of by Chouji, who enlarged himself by about four times his normal size. He even picked up several ninjas and hurled them back outside, hoping that they would at least straddle any one trying to scale the wall. Eventually, Chouji made his way on to the top of the wall, and rolled himself into a ball, his spiky hair hardening accordingly.

"Spiked Meat Tank!"

Chouji rode over his enemies with the destruction that only a razor sharp boulder could cause. Ino was a bit distressed when he went out of sight, but she continued to fight as Raidou, with his large kusarigama-style weapon, shaped like a sea-shell and Genma armed with some more arrows and a pair of chakra blades came to back her up.

Once Chouji got to a good distance, he stopped rolling, and slapped his palms together. "Massive Multi-Size no Jutsu!"

The healthy youth grew to be about 100 times his normal size. He drew out his second cudgel, which was also enlarged, and laid waste to the enemies, maniacally striking all around him. He even stepped on a number of ninjas (by accident of course), his massive foot-steps generating tremors throughout the land. At this rate, his team's side would be cleared in no time.

X

On the side of the Hokage Monument, several enemies ripped their hair out in light of the disturbing visions they were witnessing…ten seconds before being consumed by Destruction Bugs. The chakra-drained enemies didn't notice the two figures standing on a narrow ledge outside the giant mountain range, one with ruffled black hair, the other covered by a large hooded jacket and wearing dark sunglasses.

Yuuhi Kurenai, her hands moving through the seals for several different genjutsus, was straining to keep her focus. Shino didn't show any signs of physical exhaustion, but she knew he was approaching his limit. Casting such jutsus over such a large radius required the bulk of their chakra, but since the other shinobi were either busy guarding the walls or eliminating any one who penetrated their defenses to reach the village, nothing could be done. Better to help out in some way than just sit around with the villagers, waiting for death to come.

"I-I…I think I need a break," the red eyed woman said, as she fell to one knee, gasping for air. She swallowed a soldier pill, and waited for the medicine to take its effects. _First Asuma and now Konoha…Akatsuki…Don't they have a conscience? _"Shino," she said, offering him a few of the miracle drugs.

"I'm fine, sensei," the bug-user said monotonously, though Kurenai could sense a bit of a stutter. She took a deep breath, made a few more hand-seals and combed the area for some more targets. "Left, 300 yards," she said to her student, who located the miscreants screaming in pain. "Shino…I know we may not make it out of this alive…but—"

"We must continue to fight," he said, leading his bugs to the crowd specified. "For Konoha's sake. I know."

X

Naruto couldn't believe his eyes. Against the yellow and orange sun, they were like one giant mass of crimson and black. Thousands upon thousands of them could be seen, slowly surging towards the Hidden Village of the Leaf. Never before had Naruto felt this way before. Was it…fear? What was this sensation going through his entire body? He suddenly had doubts. About his promises, about his friends…about everything. _Will I actually be able to…_

He suddenly jolted himself back to reality and headed straight back into the manor, Hiashi, seeing the concern on his face (and knowing full well that any teenager would be terrified to see such a large army for the first time) followed. Naruto was making his way to where Tenten was sleeping. He had to get in to hi position; he had to follow the plan; he had to save Konoha!

However, on swinging the door open, he felt a light breeze. His mouth hung open, and concern returned to his eyes once more. "Hanabi! Tenten! Wake up!" He scurried over and shook the two awake. The girls, surprised to see the blonde before them, slightly recoiled but immediately shook off their drowsiness.

"W-What's wrong, Naruto," said Tenten, as she rubbed her eyes with a yawn.

"Tenten," he said, giving her a hand up. "Get your ninja tools! The village is under attack by Akatsuki! They're coming this way…and…and…"

"And what?"

Naruto pointed to the open window and the absence of one special person. "Where'd Hinata go?!"

_No doubt about it, _Hinata thought, the veins on her eyes pulsing steadily. _They must be missing nins, judging by the absence of any headbands. However, their outfits match the description of Akatsuki members. A force of 30,000 strong. _The young Hyuuga was still dressed in her hospital clothes, draping a white robe over herself to give her warmth. _It appears that…Those enemies closest to the village are the most inept…Is Akatsuki using their weaker soldiers to drain off our forces' chakra before finishing us off?_ Her chakra was almost close to full; she looked down from the high ledge, and concentrated on a spot nearer to the village. Her focus was a bit off due to the effect of the tranquilizers but with an imaginary line of chakra drawn out, she transported herself in the blink of an eye. Upon landing in the village, she was shocked to come face-to-face with Naruto.

"Hinata," he said, not in the mood to compliment her on her skill with the Thundergod jutsu, "I can't let you do this. You're still not fully recovered. And besides—"

"Naruto-kun," she said with a lilting tone. She felt as if everything would go dark in an instant but persevered to stay awake as she continued. "I want to help…I won't…Be protected any more…From now on, let's…fight together…" _So sleepy…But if I can't get the job done then they will! _Hinata bit her thumb and made a few handseals, before touching the ground lightly.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" With a cloud of smoke, the nine ninja wolves appeared again, ready to fight for their master.

"Ohayou, Hina-cha—"The gray-furred wolf stopped mid-way upon seeing her crumpled on one knee. His expression suddenly changed, as he looked upon Naruto. He bore his fangs as the other eight followed his lead. "What did you do to Hina-chan?!"

"Soma…Protect this village…This man is my friend…Protect the village…" She slowly got back on her feet. Naruto, unnerved by the evil stares he was receiving, supported her, hoisting her arm over his shoulder. "Protect everyone…Please…"

"Enemy ninjas dressed in black and red cloaks have infiltrated this village and it's boundaries and are currently at war with us," said the blonde to the wolves. "Will you lend us your assistance while I take her to a more secure place?" The wolves gave a howl in unison, and quickly dispatched in several directions. 'Anything for Hina-chan' was Soma's last words, as he went after the enemies at the main gate. Naruto lifted the limp girl in his arms and made for the Hokage's tower. Its basement, which acted as the headquarters for everyone involved in the fight, was the most secure location at the moment, and it would also be closer to his position. The blonde hadn't even crossed a few meters when his hands started to burn; it then extended to affect his whole body. _What in the…?_

He gingerly placed Hinata on the ground and checked her pulse. It was then that he realized. _But when did she do that, _he thought through gritted teeth. Her eyes shot open as she regained her vertical bearing. Seeing her thumb still bleeding, she smeared some onto her right forearm, causing her Tsumugari to appear into her hands. Her pupiless eyes looked towards Naruto, scowling not so much out of anger as out of determination.

_The Heal Gate has been opened. Is she insane?_

She noiselessly worded something that sounded like 'Sasuke-kun' before disappearing from his sight. He caught her making her way to the main gate of Konoha, where the bulk of the enemies were. Alarmed that he did nothing to stop her, he punched cursed loudly and made his way to an area just east of the main gate. Chouji and Ino's side was holding up. The Hokage Monument side looked like it would hold for another fifteen minutes while the main gate could fall at any moment.

A kunai came at Naruto's face from above. It made contact with a log, with the real Naruto being behind his adversary, whose throat he slashed in one swipe with his kitana. If he was going to help the village, then he had to hurry. Naruto teleported his way to his destination, assisting shinobis across the way, while at the same time, gradually drawing on the Nine-Tails' chakra. By the time he reached the east wall of Konoha, he already had four tails swirling dangerously behind him.

"Don't worry Hinata. He's coming. But until then," he said, before running down the wall, and launching himself off when he reached the middle. His chakra covered arm stretched out, tearing through several enemies at once.

X

"Raiton: False Darkness," said Hinata, as two surges of lightning blasted forth from her forearms, toasting the group who were closet to scaling the wall. The electricity remained inside their bodies, and began to spread to other enemies as their corpses hit the ground. Another group, one that seemed to be insde the village already, began to rush her. One of them made a few handseals and sent a Mystic Flower Katon jutsu at her. The twenty balls of fire approached from the front, as the three other shinobis tried to flank her from behind. Hinata kicked the dust around her, sending it flying into the ninja before her as she spun her body in a rapid 360-degree motion.

"Kaiten!" The fire spheres dissipated, as the shinobi all smiled inwardly. Reports about the Hyuuga girls being fools were not the least bit exaggerated if they failed to notice such a simplistic diversionary strategy.

But just when the shinobi in front was about to thrust his weapon into her body, he found that she had vanished. A small hole could be seen in the crater that her divine whirl had created. Before any of them could react, a hand erupted from the ground and pulled one of them down. The others watched as he screamed in horror, his body being dragged into the soil. Two dragons made of soil and rock then appeared in front of the other two ninjas, slamming into their frames and knocking them out cold. Several audible cracks put the last one at unease, but the feeling didn't last long. He had just caught sight of a chakra-imbued palm being shoved right into his chin from below, the spiraling motion of its user adding extra sting to the hit. He lost consciousness, blood flowing from his lower jaw, as he dropped to the soil.

Hinata wiped the dust off of her white robe. She felt her abdomen tightening and began to cough into her hands. Though she couldn't feel any pain, she knew that her wound was serious if opening the Heal Gate couldn't stop the bleeding permanently. Nonetheless, she had to go on.

The Tsumugari was covered in a shade of bluish white chakra, which seemed to be bigger than the blade itself by about 3 feet. She swung the sword at her enemies, one at a time, strategically disabling the tenketsus in their legs and arms. As the number of injured increased around her, she felt a hand extend out from behind her. The blind spot in her Byakugan failed to catch it during the confusion, and she ended up riding the momentum. Hinata crashed into a hut and relinquished her hold on her sword, as small shards of concrete erupted from behind her. Any anger she felt snapped like a twig, and exited her body in the form of blood and tears. The man whom the arm belonged rapidly made his way to the trapped Hinata with a pike in his hands. Her choking only caused more tears to escape her eyes.

Hinata made a few one handed-seals and felt the blood and water on her face solidify painfully, seconds before her foe made contact with her chest.

"Suiton: Water Fang Bullet," she said weakly, as small red and colorless needles rushed towards the enemy and stabbed him at several points in his face and eyes. The man faltered, his face smarting from the multi-pronged pain, and felt his grip loosen by an inch. Hinata fell from the hold, and clutched her abdomen as she swiftly made her way to him and thrust three outstretched Jyuuken-infused fingers into his aorta. He died on his feet and crumpled lifelessly to the ground as Hinata rubbed her throat.

With her Byakugan pulsing, she saw the enemies approaching from beyond the main gate. She also caught sight of the Hokage, Lee and Gai fighting in a crowd, fighting off enemies as they came close, maintaining a tight formation to keep from being overwhelmed. To her left, she felt a reckless chakra chewing through several dozens of foes at once, and she immediately surmised it to be Naruto in his Kyuubi-infused state. At the back, a good number of enemies were coming at Hokage Monument, but they were being repelled successfully by the forces of Konoha.

_Something doesn't feel right…_She remembered seeing more than five thousand shinobi approaching from the right of the village, but they were just standing there out of Chouji's reach. Pouring more chakra into her Byakugan, she saw why. Her eyes widened in shock as her white eyes returned to normal, as she was unable to focus on keeping the Heal Gate open any longer. Sheer exhaustion caused her to cave back down onto her knees.

_No…Not yet…_

Pulling the sleeve up on her right arm, she returned the Tsumugari back to its chakra tattoo, since it seemed like she wasn't going to be the cavalry for the forces at the main gate. A giant rumble echoed throughout the entire landscape.

Its effect wasn't lost on the other ninjas, both Akatsuki and Konoha. Tsunade seized cracking a woman's skull in half. Sakura had a giant boulder lifted over her head, ready to throw at her enemies. Gai and Lee maintained formation but their heightened senses told them of the danger coming from the west of Konoha. Suddenly, the tremors became worse, as if they had redoubled. The Akatsuki nins stopped their attacks and smirked evilly at their enemies. Tsunade didn't know why but had the feeling that their trump-card had just arrived. Kakashi successfully repelled targets invading the village and leapt up on the wall of the east gate.

_Oh hell no,_ he thought with trepidation.

Probably the only one not mystified by the origin of the tremors was Naruto.

He fell to his knees. _This isn't right…The Nine-Tails' chakra should be more than this. _But there was no time to ponder that. Two large earthquakes seemed to have made their epicenters just a few hundred yards away from him. His battle-weary azure eyes looked up. He mentally cursed himself, for not being a God and having unlimited power, and the Akatsuki, for having more resources and more brains than he did.

Standing before Naruto was a large, disfigured two-tailed cat, almost 100 meters in height. Its bright flaming fur bristled as its snarl tore through the air. Behind its mass of burning sulfur were two enormous whips of dancing embers that turned whatever they touched into ash immediately. Its face was anything but coy, actually resembling an oni that had been condemned to be executed, yet it only enlarged the manic destruction it was threatening. The Nibbi.

Floating right next to it was a strange, golden bird. It was smaller than its partner but nonetheless was not your average eagle. Four gleaming orange tails smoothly grazed the landscape, a multitude of bright burning red feathers and a pair of titanic wings made up its body—all ending in an elongated beak, a bloody red orb on each side of its head. It reared its head back, and emitted a supersonic scream, that caused everyone to cover their ears. Its talons were only four in number but they still shone an intimidating bronze color. The Yonbi.

_When one fails…Send two, _thought Naruto scornfully. _This may do no good, but…_

With the another surge of the Kyuubi's chakra, the blonde took a bit of blood and made three handseals, before placing his palm on the ground.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Once more, the giant toad boss, Gamabunta emerged from beneath him. However, he instantly felt himself stiffen, all his senses going numb.

_My body…Is becoming paralyzed…Why? _In his mind, he thought he heard a snide laugh. He fell face first on top of the toad's head, before it could inquire about why he was such a slave-driver and calling him out for the second time in less than 24 hours.

"**Damn…Against two tailed-beasts this time…Well," **the frog said, unsheathing his dosu and clutching it tightly**, "Let's get started shall we?"**

&&&&&&&&&&&&&

_Where in the hell? _

Naruto awoke in the same room he had seen a dozen times before. Dark puddles everywhere, a void that made up the surrounding space and two tall imposing steel gates—nothing had changed.

Except this time, he was on the opposite side of the cage.

**_Ha! Did you think you could simply steal my power whenever you pleased without my retaliation? You're years away from my level if you're dumb enough to think that!_**

The Kyuubi demon walked towards him, his enormous frame shaking the very barriers of the empty space. The blonde didn't move; his eyes narrowed before he smiled arrogantly.

_I've been waiting for this for a long time actually._

_**Is that right?**_

_You won't kill me, or else you'll die too. What, did you get so lonely that you wanted a match?_

The demon fox stared at him for a second before breaking down in a banshee-like torrent of laughter.

**_Newsflash, genius: If your body dies, than we both die. But if your soul dies, you've still got another one in reserve…_**

_It's a long shot and you know it._

_**Maybe…But that doesn't mean it won't be worth the effort!!**_

All nine of the demon's tails shot forward at the Naruto, who avoided the blow just in time. It may be that he was rendered unconscious in his Kyuubi state and had been drawn into the other side of the gates in some sort of reverse shift of subconscious. He knew that the seal would need a few more modifications before he could truly have control over the bastard fox.

_Geez…In between thousands of Akatsuki ninjas, two tailed-beasts and a clan that needs protecting, I have to deal with a giant furball with a vendetta…And I thought getting Sakura to go out with me was impossible._

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Hinata had already reached the west side of Konoha. She climbed on to the top of the guard tower, which seemed to be abandoned. That wasn't all—it seemed that all the enemies that were to approach from this side had redistributed themselves and were now making their way in from the north near Hokage Monument and the south from the main gate. Hinata's Byakugan caught sight of a small figure on the ground, one she recognized immediately. Chouji had been knocked unconscious, with several wounds on his arms and legs and this no doubt caused him to revert back to his original form. He looked to have gotten out off harm's way; as if he was trying to retreat but got nailed by a high-powered attack from behind. That wound explain the bone protruding from his shoulder blades. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't help Chouji as she looked at the creature that was now rampaging closer and closer to Konoha.

Its thick shell did well to hide its grotesque face, as three rock-like tails trailed like strings of boulders from its lower back, The beast was more silent in its resolve than its brethren and yet, the immediate caution that was to be exercised was only greater. Its turquoise colored outer shell hinted resembled that of a turtle whose inners had been exposed; the flesh inside was a deep shade of pinkish red. The Sanbi.

_A tailed beast…Three tails…_Hinata noticed earlier that two other tailed monsters had appeared in the other direction, but she couldn't sense Naruto at all. Nonetheless, Hinata had to trust him and defeat the tailed beast on this side with all her might. Which is normally what she would have done, if her pain hadn't caught up with her again. Hinata felt a lump in her throat, which ended in her swallowing whatever blood was going to exit from her throat. Her neck and spine felt stiff. Would she be able to fight for any longer? Was this her end?

Hinata fell off the wooden wall, as she spread blood on to the tattoo on her left forearm. Desperate times called for desperate measures. It would take all of her remaining chakra, along with the chakra contained in her seal, but it would have to do. Her Byakugan stopped pulsing, as a small smile came to her lips. Hinata closed her eyes, as the wind blew her hair back in a mess of blue strands.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

An enormous cloud of smoke formed beneath her, shaping into a large furry body. The figure grew larger and larger, as Hinata huddled onto its soft exterior. Its dark ashen fur spiked at its tail, which extended dozens of meters behind its body. The hulking animal's triangular head complimented its sharp pointed ears and furrowed eyes. Lifeless red pupils flashed from their recesses, as the entire body of the creature began to glow with a calm yet demonic aura of chakra. It stood proudly, with the limp body of Hinata contrasting its brutal majestic stance. A loud howl echoed throughout the Fire Country.

The smoke cleared and revealed the final and most powerful of Hinata's wolf summons.

Kira, former High Wolf and leader of the wolves.

Now exiled from his clan for committing a horrible taboo to increase his power—

Training alongside the Nine-Tails Demon Fox.

X

"Katon: Karyuu Endan no Jutsu!!" The serpent-like flames exiting Jiraiya the Toad Sannin's mouth combined with the oil produced by Gamabunta's buccal cavity. The resulting inferno was skillfully dodged by the agile Nibbi and the rapid flying of the Yonbi. The perverted hermit spat with contempt. Since Naruto was laying unconscious right next to him, he had to be the one to take up the job of commandeering the Toad Boss. The main reason for his frustration lay in the failure of him and Naruto to properly utilize the Kyuubi's chakra. Jiraiya wouldn't have blamed himself if, just like the time he helped Naruto to learn the Flying Thundergod no Jutsu, he had just modified the Yondaime's seal properly. As of now, Gamabunta didn't stand a chance fighting these two monstrosities without Naruto's help. And judging upon the look at the young vessel's painful expressions, he wouldn't be waking up until he was finished with his little nightmare.

The Nibbi tackled Gamabunta before sinking its teeth into his moist skin. The frog boss leapt upwards and away from the village and brushed against a nice solid mountain, attempting to brush the demon cat off of him. To his surprise though, the demon landed on all fours and supported the enormous frog's weight with ease. Another supersonic scream burst forth, uprooting trees and soil until it hit the Frog Boss dead on. His body dragging for a few miles was only the beginning of this long torturous exercise.

"**Oye Jiraiya, I know how you feel…But…"**

Jiraiya, who was holding on tight with Naruto to the rough masses of the frog's skin when he was being tossed around, sighed pitifully. "I know. We can't win." The Sannin looked back upon the village he had grown up in and where he met his best friends and most cherished loved ones. _Is this really how it ends? _

"Dammit," said Tsunade, as she held on to her ribs. The enemies only seemed to quadruple in the past ten minutes and then there were those tailed beasts she spotted only a few minutes ago. Lee and Gai were the only ones left fighting—each of them was buying time for the others to recover by opening seven of the Celestial Gates. Sakura already had a broken leg with no chakra left to heal herself, and Kiba was nowhere to be seen. Tsunade had sent word for reinforcements but it didn't seem like they would be coming.

_This is how it ends…I'm sorry everyone…_

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a giant lightning bolt struck between the four and the Akatsuki ninjas. It spread to form a humongous wall, electrocuting anyone who dared to cross it. The black cloaked murderers backed up fearfully, and held their ground only a few steps away from a strange figure. He stood erect with his head bowed down, his ghostly white hair combed back and reaching down to his hips. The dark current of skin seemed to overwhelm his entire body. His hands were clenching two swords, both unsheathed and crackling with electricity. He looked upon the crowd of ninjas in front of him, his blood-shot eyes radiating a godly amount of killing intent.

Sakura gasped as she looked upon the symbol on his back. It was the same symbol that Hinata had on her maroon body-suit when she was operating on her. _This could only mean one thing…_

Several other shinobi, all dressed in gray outfits, landed next to the imposing man. The only exceptions to this gathering were about twenty of them dressed in vests of varying colors and dark, loose slacks and wearing black headbands and long white trench-coats with an unfamiliar clan name on it. Another fifteen had masks of various serpents and demons on their faces as they eyed the invading army from the tree-tops with arms crossed. All together, this outfit were about 70 in number. They formed a protective, human wall around the Hokage and her allies, their eyes set upon the invaders, daring them to make one wrong move.

"**What in the world," **started Gamabunta as he looked upon the Nibbi's body. Hundreds of kunais were stuck on it, and they suddenly set off, triggering numerous, painful explosions. Jiraiya spotted the Yonbi approaching from the left and was getting ready to warn his ally, but then a large mass of scales suddenly tackled it, and attempted to wrap its body around the phoenix while breathing a greenish flame at its wings. The Toad Sannin thought it was night time already, judging from how everything suddenly turned dark; he gasped upon realizing the truth. Every hair on is body stood in place as he looked skywards.

Two giant red, black and white wings shone brilliantly in the morning sunlight. An enormous hulking metal body with red lights and several parachutes emerging from the front and the underside gave a foreboding appearance. Several more kunai and windmill shurikens were launched at the Nibbi from the back of the ship, causing the enormous cat to bound back by several yards. It growled evilly and with rage as it licked its burnt hide and spat at the enormous weapon. The wings led to a giant structure with numerous windows and terraces on its sides. A main dock could be seen in the center of the machine, with several kanji painted on it.

They formed the word 'Haven'.

"Attention all bad guys!"

Maxi's loud, brash voice broke out through the village via a powerful intercom system.

"This is Kagura Maxi, creator of the Class 7, chakra-reinforced, flying air fortress 'Haven' here to inform you that our captain has touched ground with several of our fine young soldiers! To confirm their presence, any screams of pain, shouts of agony and deafening prayers for mercy would be much appreciated!"

A pair of black claw-like wings sprouted from the young man's back as his dark mouth smirked snidely.

"Sorry I'm late, Hokage-sama" said Sasuke, as his eyes began to form the tri-pointed Mangekyou.

* * *

**Save the Hidden Leaf! Level 2 Seal Unleashed! A Secret Weapon? Reunited At Last! Next! Chapter 10: Shiner!**


	11. Chapter 10: Shiner

**My Eyes**

By Shiranui the Brave

**Author's Notes:** Wow, did this chapter ever take a long time. Did you ever get that feeling that whatever you wrote wasn't going your way at all, and you just wished you could start all over again with a bang? Well that's I decided with this chapter. It was originally supposed to be an extension of the last chapter with all the violence and agony amplified but at a point I just told myself, "This is the most awful piece of uninteresting, unengaging work I've ever had the misfortune of writing" and from there I realized how much I had lost the enjoyment I got from telling this story. Granted, chapter 9 wasn't that great either (and you guys can agree that only 4 reviews reflects just how irritated I felt), and I can't say I enjoyed writing that as much either. Hence the complete overhaul made with this new chapter. Hopefully, you guys will enjoy it, as its coming straight back to the romance and drama that was so endearing in the beginning. For those who probably lost interest in the story, maybe this will get you back on the bandwagon.

To the story! (And yes, there are tons of 'WTF?!' moments, but everything will be explained in good time.)

**

* * *

****Chapter 10: Shiner**

"My leg!! Ah, my leg!"

"D-Don't cry mommy…It doesn't hurt any…more…really….it doe…sn't…"

"Get this patient to the intensive care unit stat! Where's Misaki? Tell her I need her here now!"

"I'm sorry…But it seems…It seems that we were too late…"

Standing against the solid white wall, Hatake Kakashi looked up at what seemed to be the roof, when he knew that it was really the floor for the room above. Seeing underneath the underneath—no one understood this better than the famed Copy Ninja of Konoha. The stench of blood began to invade his senses. His body was attuned to it; be it the blood of his enemies from a heated battle, the scarlet residues of allied wounds, or the gushing fountains of red from a dying victim. Having gotten his hands dirty before, the stench was always second nature to him.

He shifted his masked head a little towards the room beside him. Within the medical ward of the FAF Haven, which took up the entire upper rear section of the vessel and was equipped with only a shade less of the total doctors Konoha managed to provide, he stood like a sentry. The battle hardened shinobi had done his share of the fighting near the river that led out of the village. Thankfully, the river flowed underground after some distance, so there was no opportunity for another opening by the invading Akatsuki nins. Of course, it was here that he found her. It was probably the first time in a while that he felt his stomach doing flip flops, and he didn't hesitate to pull off the mask covering the lower portion of his face and empty his stomach into the cold blue. It had been four hours since the Haven took off from the Hokage Monument, where all the civilians and surviving shinobi had regrouped and escaped. And now, for some unknown reason, he stood outside the door to her room, while a newly appointed but still fellow Jounin stood by her side.

"Patient No. 162: Yamanaka Ino."

The medical officer, dressed in a white coat with maroon outlines and having a light green surgeon's outfit, flipped to the next page on her clipboard as she continued.

"Severe head trauma is indicated on the left hemisphere of the cranium, along with second degree burns that singed her hair. Most likely caused by a flux of high degree explosives at point blank range. Dislocated shoulder, two broken ribs, but the main injury," she said, as she held her breath while pointing to her navel, "Seems…S-Seems to be around here."

Nara Shikamaru, who had been on his feet the entire time, felt his heart wrench. _Chouji's tough enough to take any kind of punishment…Lee-san could never be taken down…Even Sakura could heal herself up in a jiffy if something was wrong…But this…_He himself had had his entire arm broken, which he know carried in a sling, but compared to many others, he had gotten off very lightly. It seemed that fate always had a bad way of reminding him just how much luckier he was compared to his friends.

"Extensive tissue severance and a ripped clot have resulted in massive blood loss, which no doubt she tried to close using medical jutsu. Her hip muscles seem to be torn from the…damage she received…and," she gulped again and suddenly averted her eyes from the sight. Shikamaru knew how tough this was for the young Oto medic Nin. Only his feelings for his loud-mouthed yet dignified team-mate were keeping him from abandoning his place by her side. "T-Three kunai and a number of shrapnel, no doubt used to subdue the patient for torture, have been removed from her calves and shins…I-I'm sorry! I-I can't—"

"If it's alright with you," said the young rookie Jounin, as he kept his back to the medic, "I'd like to stay with her a bit longer." Without a word, the young girl nodded and left the room, tears in her eyes and a hand over her mouth.

Kakashi sighed once more. At times like this, he wished there was some kind of obsession he could employ in order to relieve the tension. He didn't smoke (and neither was it allowed in this portion of the ship), and the latest addition of his beloved Icha Icha novels (lovingly titled 'Icha Icha Redux') was stained with blood, when he tied his vest around Ino's body. _So small yet so brave, _he thought to himself. _There would never have been any need for young girls like her to have to go through what she did. Akatsuki…Are they men or beasts?_

However, the blond haired Yamanaka wasn't the only one who was injured. In fact, Kakashi was amazed at how well he was able to block out all the chaos around him. Nurses and surgeons were rushing back and forth, many wounded were being wheeled in on stretchers and chairs towards awaiting relief, and despite how exhausted Tsunade was, she had taken it upon herself to lead the brigade of specialists against the time-old enemy of their profession. He remembered the patients he passed by on his way here.

Rock Lee and Maito Gai:

Critical muscle and protein destruction along with numerous torn muscles and broken bones. And yet, those two were smiling when they were told how many ninjas they had managed to dispatch. Vowing it as yet another obstacle on their way to achieving strength without limits, the two green beasts of Konoha vowed to fight another day. The absence of shattering waves and a setting sun didn't mar the awe one had of their resolve even one bit.

Haruno Sakura:

Extensive charka depletion and physical exhaustion. A broken leg later mended by the gifted medical ninja, Hittori Misaki. Now on her feet and assisting her former mistress in any and every way possible, on the condition that she not strain herself.

Aburame Shino:

Uninjured, yet severely paralyzed by an as of yet unknown poison. Currently being treated by Aburame Clan Leader, Aburame Shibi.

Yuuhi Kurenai:

Critically wounded by a katana heaved at her jugular. Though missing by several centimeters, it was enough to ensure that she would be in bed for a good three weeks.

But three cases had bothered Kakashi the most. They weren't as grotesque as Ino's injuries, and yet he found it hard to erase from his mind.

His former student and fellow squad-mate, Uzumaki Naruto, had been marred by severe psychological damage. Also, after being escorted by Jiraiya from the battlefield, he awoke from a self-induced coma only to be greeted by a multitude of internal injuries. Tsunade was already working her best to treat him when Kakashi passed by earlier.

_Drawing upon the Kyuubi's power after making modifications to sensei's seal after such a long time shouldn't have had any risks. Could it have been the Nine Tails' work? _Though impressed that Jiraiya had used Suiton elemental recomposition on Gamabunta's enormous dosu to take down the speedy Nibbi, his attention was still firmly focused on his former teacher's son, and most importantly, one of the precious people in his life.

Tenten.

_The Weapons Mistress of Konoha,_ he thought pensively, remembering how she received the wounds that she did.

_Dammit, the weary Jounin thought to himself. Ino was firmly cuddled in his arms after he patched whatever injuries he could. The order for a retreat to the monument had already been given by falcon messenger after headquarters was destroyed. After dispatching a few more enemies using his new water jutsu and a healthy amount of the river, Kakashi rushed to meet up with his allies at the stone structure. The giant airship that he spotted from before had already made its way there._

_Just as he was wondering if all the civilians and shinobi could fit on that massive vessel, he reached the top of the monument. Shock governed his lone eye and Sharingan as he realized the battle he had just walked in on. _

_Tenten was battling three masked individuals on her own in the woody reaches just a few meters from the Kazama mansion. Her left cheek was already torn open and blood was flowing down her neck, and staining her red and white outfit. Suddenly, she found herself falling victim to her enemy's jutsu. By unraveling a special scroll, one of the masked fighters summoned a sphere of kunai to surround Tenten, and ready to strike from every direction possible. She realized this and unraveled her own two scrolls swiftly, the elongated papers spinning around her. The words, 'Twin Rising Dragons' could be heard and from the reels shot forth a plethora of shurikens. Each one of them connected with the kunai, and knocked them out of the air._

_Pinpointing each projectile and hitting it out of the air in such a brief amount of time…Amazing, said Kakashi to himself. But soon he would have to eat those words. The kunai that had fallen rose up again, and rushed at Tenten once more, only this time with more spin and curve in their movements. As a wielder of charka string weaponry herself, Tenten summoned her shurikens back up again, and the two began parrying each other's blows. A kunai dashed past the same cheek where she had been injured but Tenten knocked it out of the air. She turned her body and shifted her weight onto her left foot. Three dozen more kunai were coming at her in an arc, some coming from the left and others approaching from the top. Tenten smirked as she snagged a thread attached to her index finger. A web of charka strings, created by her swift actions from earlier, suddenly shifted upwards and caught each of the 36 kunai. The projectiles stuck into the loops of the net and with another tug of the string, Tenten thrust them deep into the ground while she moved in against her opponent. The kunai were quickly retracted and the masked man went back on the defense while looping his weapons around the trees in order to catch the Weapons Mistress off-guard. Nothing of the sort happened as Tenten anticipated each of the movements perfectly. It was like a ballet of weaponry, as Tenten swerved back and forth, her body flowing gracefully and matching her enemy, strike for strike._

_75 shurikens versus 89 kunai, Kakashi said to himself. And yet she's holding her own. But those masked individuals…Could they really be... _

_A scream issued forth as Tenten fell to the ground. One of the Akatsuki Nin managed to move in between the decapitating charka stringed weaponry and stabbed her through the abdomen. Kakashi didn't let his eyes deceive him—he knew that she wasn't the one who screamed. Suddenly, the six masked men regrouped and laid eyes on the new entry on the battlefield. He could probably delay the six but stopping them (especially in his state) wouldn't be simple. _

Besides the stab wound she received that made a clean hole leading from her lower back right out of her abdomen, it was also confirmed that she had several deep cuts and gashes on her arms and legs. Kakashi didn't quite know how to respond to her case. Maybe he was simply overawed by her grit and determination in the battle, but then that would be belittling the injury she got. Most people her age often ended up much worse then her. Just that thought brought another girl, one who he knew very little about, to his head—

"AAHH!"

Kakashi stood erect in an instant. He remembered that same exact scream from before, such was the effect it burned into his head. Walking a few steps down the hall, he spotted the source of the deafening yelling.

"MY EYES!!"

"Hyuuga-san, please calm down!"

"They burn! They burn so much, Oto-sama! Oh God, my eyes!! Make it stop….Make it stop!"

Bottles of antiseptic fell onto the floor, crashing into a million glass shards. Her violent outbursts had caused Hanabi to throw off anything that wasn't bolted down. The various nurses would have taken to bounding her to the bed if Hiashi hadn't been against it. A bedpan and some syringes were next to come tumbling down as her screaming elevated beyond the level of normal cacophony that could issue forth from a hospital room.

Kakashi moved inside and towards Hiashi, who had a grim expression on his face. The torment his daughter was going through was simply too much, yet what could be done when he possessed only the power to kill and not heal? "Hiashi-sama," he said casually. Only a brief glance on the Hyuuga's part showed his acknowledgement of the Jounin's presence.

His pure white robe had been stained at the left shoulder and at the knee-cap, the red shade growing deeper and darker.

"Hiashi-sama, you should get yourself treated. The doctors here will take care of—"

"DO NOT TELL ME TO LEAVE MY DAUGHTER NOW! NOT WHEN SHE NEEDS ME THE MOST!" The Hyuuga leader's eyes flashed dangerously, virtually innumerable veins activating the Byakugan bloodline limit, as his face grew red with rage. He would have struck out at the Copy Ninja for in whatever way possible, since he knew his disposition very well but he suddenly found himself unable to move. Hiashi looked towards the doorway and found Shikamaru with his hands by his side. His shadow stretched towards the elder's feet and immobilized him completely. The latter's scorn doubled as his vision began to drill through the young Nara's eyes. However, he stopped upon reading the look in them.

"Hyuuga-sama, please get yourself treated," he said with a low, heavy voice. "You're…You're not the only one with loved ones who have been injured…"

Sadness. Regret. Self-hate. Vanquished hopes. Amplified self-hate. Confusion. Immense fear and uncertainty. These were the feelings Hiashi could retrieve from Shikamaru's eyes. The great pain seemingly transferred from one individual to another, and this caused the prolific Hyuuga to yield, if only for a few minutes.

"As soon as I am treated, I will be right back here by her side. Nothing either of you can say will convince me to rest in this case." Hiashi began shuffling towards the door after Shikamaru released his Shadow Bind jutsu. He stopped just a few feet next to him before leaving. "I'm truly sorry, young man," he said as honestly as he could. And with that, he left.

Kakashi forgot about the killing intent of the Hyuuga leader and turned his attention back to Hanabi. "What's her status, doctor?" He spotted heavy bandaging on her right eye. Besides the dislocated forearm she had, it looked to be the most familiar injury he had seen in while.

"Ceramic scalpel. Cut a clean path through the viscous fluid and severed several essential veins in her eyes. However, that's not all…It seems that the object was coated with an abstract poison that began to spread through the remaining white viscous. It looked to be normal cataract inducing drugs, but they appear to be cell destroying in nature. A good amount has already covered her right socket, and it'll only be an hour or so before it reaches the left as well. I wouldn't be surprised if it already took care of the left eye as well. We need to remove the remainder of the viscous material before it spreads to her entire body, specifically her brain…But…"

"She'll never be able to use her Byakugan again?"

The doctor looked back at Hanabi, who had just been administered tranquilizers. They took effect immediately, and she fell into a deep slumber, her flailing limbs gradually growing limp. "To be on the safe side, we're going to have to remove both her eyes. As of now however, it is definite that her right eye must be surgically excised."

"I see…" _At least we know they weren't after her Bloodline Limit…Or were they? _"Well, I'll try to spread the word to Tsunade-sama, our best medic Nin…She may have some good suggestions."

"That would be very helpful, but we'll need her quickly."

Kakashi nodded and began moving out of the room. After passing the word onto Shizune about Hanabi's condition, he encountered Shikamaru once more, and took a seat next to him outside Ino's room.

"Thanks for saving her, Kakashi-sensei," said Shikamaru, as he folded and unfolded his hands nervously. "If there's any one who could have helped her, I would have wished it to be you. Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Actually, I'm glad you showed up with reinforcements when you did…If I had been forced to take on those six by myself, then neither I nor Ino-san would be here before you." _Almost every top Konoha ninja had come just in time to intervene in that fight…Even the Roots squad members…_

Shikamaru cocked a small grin. "Yeah, but they did their damage," he said, obviously alluding to his broken arm that he received while trying to immobilize one of the six. "Those guys with the blank masks, though…Before leaving, they revealed their platoon name and purpose, right?"

"The Dusk Squad…Never thought I'd get to hear that name again." Kakashi took out a small book from his pocket, which Shikamaru identified to be vaguely similar to a Bingo-Book. Kakashi opened it and turned a couple of pages until he reached the one with no photos on it. "One of the most famous assassination squads in the entire ninja world. So little was known about them that even when they went missing no one was the wiser."

"Are they that dangerous?"

"They were a mercenary group who took on the most dangerous shinobi missions known to man. Every task they took was done with the sole purpose of improving their overall tactics and team performance. Their one defining feature was their white porcelain masks with no animals carved onto them and which covered their entire head. This helped them in employing their trump card perfectly. Basically, one of them would engage the enemy at a time, while the others remained hidden in the shadows. Using blinding speed, they would transition themselves in and out of a fight when the situation called for it, without the enemy being the wiser. So if they were going up against a person who specialized in ninjutsu, one of them would serve as the bait while another who could overcome that enemy would transfer himself in. Each member was trained equally in almost every niche skill you could think with each one taking a skill they're best at and incorporating it into their strategy of overwhelming their opponent. One thing is for certain: whenever they break off from their time-tested strategy, then they either don't want to kill their enemy or they're trying to capture him or her alive."

"I wonder about that actually," said Shikamaru, as he sat up straight. "Their mission was to assassinate the entire Hyuuga Clan…Yet the plan they displayed showed they were trying to subdue Hanabi-san. Also, they had full knowledge of the exact location of the Byakugan's blind spot, right? Yet they used this to sneak up on Tenten-san, Hanabi-san and Hiashi-sama, indicating they gained this info before even battling the Hyuuga. No one outside the clan is supposed to know about the blind spot from what I heard…"

"It doesn't make any sense, that's for sure. The timing…Their methods of fighting…" Kakashi suddenly realized something crucial. "By the way, have you seen Hinata-san anywhere?"

"I…I'm not sure. I didn't see her anywhere while boarding," he said. _First there was that enormous wolf she summoned and that horrifying battle that took place…Then some time after lift-off, a great explosion of charka made its appearance. _"Where's the guy who owns this ship? The one they dragged away from the control panel because they thought he was crazy?"

"He's still at the bridge from what I heard. Jiraiya-sama seems to be interrogating him. However," he said, smiling beneath his mask, "It seems he was getting nothing but information relating to bill clearance. Strange, that's for sure. But Shikamaru…About Ino-san…Was she…"

Shikamaru looked away instantly. Then he stood up, his back facing Kakashi. Not knowing how to react, the Copy Ninja closed his eye. "I understand. So it's true then. Shall I try and find her parents? I think I saw Inoishi-san somewhere in the ward."

"Yes, please do. They have a right to know what happened to their daughter…Oh, and one more thing Kakashi-sensei…"

"Hmm?"

"If you here anything about Chouji's whereabouts, let me know. He wasn't seen anywhere after being beaten down by the Sanbi…"

"No prob." The pony-tailed Jounin walked back into his team-mate's room and slid the door shut. Kakashi, having nothing better to do, thought he'd take one more round of the entire medical ward. In the depths of his mind, while preparing to brace himself for the sounds and sights of agony that awaited him, a question still nagged him.

_Three tailed beasts…Thousands of Akatsuki ninjas…The Dusk Squad…In the midst of all these enemies…_

_How in the world did you manage to save her…Sasuke?_

--X--

"Okay," said Jiraiya, as he massaged his aching temples once more. "Explain it to me one more time."

"BULL-shit! I told you three times already! And getting that big bald womanless dork," said Maxi loudly, as he pointed to Ibiki, "To ask me again will get you nothing! Nothing I tell you! Ha!"

An enormous slam emanated throughout the deck of the Haven. The various Snow Country personnel, who were busy manning the controls of the ship and adjusting the measurements for turn pressure and air speed, turned towards the main control panel. Three chairs, two of which were already occupied by Jiraiya and Ibiki, the center one being reserved for Tsunade when she would walk in to collect reports from all the Jounin in the evening, rattled noisily. Anko met eye-to-eye with Maxi at this point, her gritted teeth grinding closer and closer together.

"Listen punk! How in the hell do you expect us to believe you built this enormous monstrosity with your bare hands and Uchiha Sasuke's funds to help us in a war against Akatsuki that we had no knowledge about and yet is in full swing as we speak?! Did you honestly think we'd believe you about the Hidden Village of Sound and the Snow Country agreeing to lend us their 'cooperation' for this mission?! And how in the hell did you make this ship keeping in mind that an entire village would fit on it and be able to live here for weeks on end?! You look like nothing more than some premature shrimp if you ask me!" She finally took a deep breath and looked at Maxi intently.

The brown haired Kagura was silent, as he took in everything the spunky Special Jounin had just said. Finally, after some time his lips quivered as he spoke with amazement. "I…I…"

"Yes?" Anko smiled victoriously.

"I think I'm in love."

Ibiki stepped in to hold onto Anko as he began to violently kick Maxi. Even though he took off the battle armor he had on earlier, her kicks seemed to have little effect on him, much less on his self-esteem. Loud cursing echoed forth throughout the halls as Ibiki dragged her out towards the docking area. He wasn't sure any of the villagers staying in the hangar, residential quarters or medical ward were in the mood for any more ruckuses.

"Oye, old man. What was that chick's name? She seems like my type," said Maxi, as he genuinely wanted to know more about Anko.

"Then talking to you is going to be even tougher than I thought," sighed Jiraiya. _This is the thanks I get for saving the village from a Tailed Beast. You're gonna get hell for this, Tsunade. _However, the feeling he had when he looked back on the village he had grown up in enveloped in flames returned. _The village of the Hidden Leaf…It's no more…No…Now's not the time for this…_ "Let me just ask you a few queries since you've given me most of the nitty-gritty. You don't have anything to lose if you think about it. I'm still the one who has the long report to right."

Maxi smiled and stood up. "Tell you what. Since Sasuke put so much effort into making sure that not just your people but the people of the Sound and the Snow remained safe, I'll help you out. Frankly, even though I think of you guys as a bunch of sissy idealists, at least you've got your priorities straight. Ask away."

Jiraiya nodded. _Maybe this guy ain't so bad after all. _"Okay, first of all, Uchiha Sasuke, a former ninja of the Leaf, was the one who commissioned you to make this airship right?"

"Yes. He gave me a list of his requirements along with things he knew he couldn't afford, yet he was sure would benefit you ninjas. You think it was easy to make that open docking area with super reinforced charka fibers along with all those rooms for the residents? Thank God that at least the Sound ninjas offered their medical services."

"I see. And he told you that I'd be the one to clear the rest of the payments on this thing, right?"

"Yup. Says you make a lot of cash off of that Icha Icha junk."

"…Right," said Jiraiya with a cough. "Moving on…Was he the one who killed Orochimaru and his associate Kabuto?"

"That would be correct. Though he specifically asked me not to reveal how he did it."

Jiraiya scratched his hair with irritation. He already knew that the Snake Sannin died from extreme mental trauma caused by a very powerful attack on the cerebellum. The only jutsu that could possibly cause something like that, and which he had any understanding of at all, was the Tsukiyomi of the Mangekyou Sharingan. Now how Sasuke was able to gain it was another matter entirely. _Could it be that he ran into Itachi around the time he killed that Hyuuga kid? That seems like a reasonable motivation for him as far as achieving the killer doujutsu is concerned, but how did he gain it?_

"Forget that then. I need to know right now…Akatsuki…Their plan was to use the Tailed Beasts in order to incite war and chaos right? Those ninjas we encountered…Who were they?"

"Let me break it down for you: Around this time, Akatsuki was planning a field test, not the execution of their little 'plan' as you call it. This was meant to be a field test of their Ninja Reserves, shinobi recruited from all over the ninja world. Genins, Jounins, ANBUs, Hunters…you name it. They were planning to unleash these shinobi on the five Hidden Villages. Also, they had already taken out the Uchiha Clan and the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, the two groups who could have possibly posed a threat to their plan in the future. The same was to be done with the Hyuuga Clan, so extra strong shinobi would be sent to Konoha to achieve this task. Now, Sasuke knew about all this…He knew about the Ninja Reserves and the plan to kill the Hyuuga members. This was the same reason that he both didn't go after the Reserves in the beginning and stayed with Hinata to protect her."

"Time out…Why in the world would he want to protect her? He hates the Leaf," said Jiraiya abruptly. _How do you go from gaining ultimate power to suddenly being smitten with a Hyuuga and training with her for two years? _"Granted, Akatsuki was after her as well, but that still doesn't explain why he would even care."

"You'll have to ask him that, old man. From the impression I got, it was like he could've achieved any thing by staying with her."

_Hmm…Interesting thought…But besides that, why didn't he tell Konoha about all this in the first place if he was so insistent on helping us out?_

"Anyway, I got a visit from him last Friday. According to him, he started destroying Ninja Reserves almost one month before, so I'm guessing he left Hinata around that time. Seems he was on a roll before Akatsuki decided to change their plans. I was in the village of the Hidden Sound when I got the message that Operation: Rewrite would commence in place of the field test. Man, if you could have seen Sasuke's expression around that time…The only thing he could think about was getting to you people on time and saving you. Not a bad way for a shinobi who left for his own selfish reasons to repent, don't you think?

"And that's the whole story, up until the time when I arrived on the battlefield to save the villagers and shinobi from a horrible death at the hands of Akatsuki. Am I good or what?" said Maxi with an arrogant smirk.

"Kid, Konoha is gone…The villagers are safe and I guess that's all that really matters…But now, where will they go"

On seeing the look of worry on Jiraiya's face, Maxi offered his hand forward. This action puzzled the perverted sannin, as he looked from Maxi's suddenly kind expression to his steady palm. "Jiraiya-san, I'm famous for being some one who can build anything. That's because I follow the logic that anything can be repaired, no matter how damaged it is. I wouldn't understand what it's like for someone like you to lose the home you've grown up in, but I can tell you that your village won't stay destroyed for long. If it's broken, you can always fix it again."

Jiraiya chuckled to himself and took Maxi's hand tightly. "Thanks kid. That's just what I needed to hear. I guess brats like you can be serious at times—" The white headed shinobi stopped when he realized that the young boy's grip on his hand tightened.

"You don't seem to understand. I may be a loudmouth, but when it comes to work, I'm always on my game. After this war is over, I'll help rebuild Konoha for you. That's a promise."

"And men never break their promises, right?"

Maxi loosened his grip and returned to his seat in front of the ship's steering wheel. "Men break promises but I live to work. So where there's good work I won't be too far behind. It'd actually be refreshing to create something useful for a change rather then something that could hurt people, don't you agree?"

"Yeah. Of course."

Jiraiya took his seat and looked out at the clouds passing the ship. Despite the speed of the ship, they appeared to be drifting by quietly, as if oblivious to the fact that a major battle had just broken out. Several teams of ANBU had already been dispatched to retrieve any surviving shinobi who didn't make to the Haven on time, though their work would be stifled by the remaining presence of Akatsuki shinobi. It was around 11 AM in the morning, and there were still more than six hours until the scheduled meeting time of all Jounins and ANBU captains. Jiraiya looked at Maxi once more. The spiky-headed braggart now looked more like the proud captain that the helm required, as he was fully concentrated on his task. Nonetheless, they all had a rough day so far.

"Hey kid."

"Hmm?" was the only sound that could be heard from the young man. Jiraiya smiled as he got up from his seat.

"How about a tour of your little invention?"

Maxi nodded as he got up from his post. He quickly assigned someone to the main controls, stating that he'd return in a few hours. As he and Jiraiya walked side by side, he began to explain the different areas, their methods of construction and so on. He even shared some funny anecdotes connected with each of the Haven's structures, but beneath his broad smile, an utter psyche of staid truth contemplated.

_Sasuke had many other reasons for redeeming himself, other than getting those he hurt to forgive him, Jiraiya-san. Like his foolish desires to become a demon. Hopefully, he's put that behind him…_

**

* * *

****Several Hours Earlier…**

_Where am I? I can't feel any pain in my body. No. I can't. Not any more. I wonder why. Just a few days ago, I was fighting, wasn't I? Yes. I was fighting two Sannins. Jiraiya-sama, Tsunade-sama…The two best of their generation and arguably two of the greatest shinobi the village of Konoha has ever produced. Konoha. Village. Villagers. Ah yes, I remember now. I was trying to protect those villagers. They're all very kind to me but they always used to mistreat Naruto-san. Where those smiles and nice words a mask they always kept on? I don't know. I don't know how they feel about him now, but I still think it's not right that one should suffer while I'm happy._

_But wait, why did I feel this burning desire to help the villagers all of a sudden? I can't move. I can't think. Yet, I still feel like helping them. Am I mad? Protect. Harm. Attack. Invaders. Yes. Invaders came to our village. It makes sense now. I was trying to save this village from those invaders, against the outbreak of dawn and early morning's mist. Dawn. Akatsuki. I summoned beasts to help me. Tailed beasts. We were fighting against tailed beasts. Very strong. Horribly strong. How much can human spirit and courage do against such creatures?_

_But I wasn't thinking that a few minutes ago…_

"**Hinata."**

_I wasn't thinking that one bit a few minutes ago._

"**Hinata."**

_I wasn't. Why?_

……

_Am I mad?_

--X--

Kira effortlessly moved to the side of the Sanbi's torrent of water and ice shards. The hail produced froze several trees and surrounding rocks and boulders, but this didn't deter the demon wolf one bit. It had been mistaken for several centuries that he was as powerful as the Kyuubi since they had been training partners, but their relationship was more of the student-master kind, albeit more relaxed and informal. Though constantly beaten down by his red-furred friend, he was always motivated to do better and keep training. Though somewhere down the line his friend lost all sanity and resorted to hoarding power, that still didn't weaken Kira's resolve. One day, he would grow strong enough to beat his old friend.

"**Demon Arts: Enten!"**

A concentrated sphere of orange fire appeared around the Sanbi's body. An enormous amount of steam was generated as the fire and water elements clashed violently, one trying to overpower the other. The Sanbi resorted to forming shields of ice around its heavily armored body but they melted with ease as Kira kept the effort up.

"_**Demon Arts: Wolf Blaze…Why do you wish to learn such a technique, Jubei-dono,"**__ said Kira to the snow-white wolf, as she moved once more into the stance, her charka building around her. __**"Do you wish to become strong? I've become an outcast from the wolf clan for trying to go to any lengths to achieve strength."**_

"_**No. I only wish…I…"**_

_Kira perked his pointed snout closer as he listened to her words of content._

"_**I only wish for us to be connected. I wish for Kira-sama and I to have something unique only to us. That only we share. Not as warriors but as…"**_

The rocky casing around the Sanbi hardened and covered its entire body. Suddenly, a great fountain of water shot up around it, and by the time the water had cleared, cracks began to appear in its hard shell. Gradually the shelled layers peeled away after the fountain receded but the Sanbi had disappeared. Another gust of water shot at Kira from the left, but the black wolf's keen hearing had already anticipated it. He jumped into the air, awaiting more water bullets to be shot at him. Twisting his body sideways, he avoided one barrage but was immediately stabbed on his leg by a stalagmite of ice just as he landed on the ground. Kira activated his charka which swelled in altering shades of black and crimson. Many razor-like discs formed around his limbs, head and tail as he howled at the kappa-like demon. More stalagmites of ice erupted from the ground in front of the demonic canine and sped towards him in a straight line. He slashed at them one by one until they formed a circle around him, trapping him in a spike trap of frost. The noble wolf didn't back down, turning 360-degrees to cut through all the obstacles at once.

_You showed me something like this before…Hinata…_

"_**What makes you think I'd want to be accepted by a human such as you?! You may have a wolf summoning contract but I part of that clan no longer! I follow my own rules and do not wish to be with any one,**__" snarled Kira upon eyeing the two individuals before him, one a short indigo-haired girl, the other a tall black-haired man with familiar red eyes. _

"_I-I…I can just see it in your eyes…Kira-sama…"_

"_**What?! What can you see in my eyes?!"**_

"_Your sadness."_

_The wolf immediately fell silent._

"_I s-saw those eyes once…N-No, actually, I see them almost every day…The eyes of some one suffering…I-I don't want you to think of me as a master…But I would like us to be friends…Because I want to understand you….A-And know how you feel…"_

"_**Understand me…"**_

The Sanbi gathered an awesome amount of charka as its shell slowly opened up. Its fleshy insides were visible. It snarled maniacally before condensing the charka into a blue sphere and devouring it. The fleshy insides puffed up as it released the concentrated beam of water at its enemy. Kira stood his ground, dispelling the discs on his body. Taking a deep breath, his eyes flashed as his fur tensed and twitched angrily. The charka entrails he had been using to fix Hinata's lifeless body onto his tightened. He released the enormous force of his lungs into one big charka-imbued shout. A loud humming tore through the beam of water, splitting it in half. The split portions of water were immediately ripped apart into tiny molecules by the shrieking howl that exploded through the forest. Several trees were leveled; the very foundations of the land had been uplifted, as if the sound was clawing closer and closer towards the core of the planet. The impact struck the open flesh of the three tailed beast, shredding chunks of it off. It faltered for a moment before finally collapsing to the ground, weakened but not dead. Its tiny eyes looked upon Kira, as he strode closer and closer towards his defeated foe. Small stalagmites of ice were raised in a futile effort to halt his progress but they made little more than a few scratches against his hard fur.

As he hovered around his fellow demon, Kira concentrated a large amount of charka into his tail. A scythe-like aura of fire encased the appendage as he spoke.

"**Sorry about this. But there's no other way for me to live the way I want,"** he said glumly.

A low growl was heard from the fallen Sanbi.

"**A demon? Yeah. I am. But to some people…I'm a lot more."** Kira closed his eyes and dropped the scythe on to the kappa's body. A river of blood, though more watery and less viscous in nature, poured forth while its severed head fell with a thud onto the remains of the forest floor.

"**To some people…I'm a friend."**

At that moment, he felt his body dissipate. His being began to make the transfer from the human dimension to the demon dimension. Victory over a foe with a superior element meant nothing to him. The last thought on his mind was whether or not some one would save her…

_I'm falling…_

_But why am I falling? Why am I even here when I can't even feel my body moving? Why?_

_Is this how my life ends?_

_Not yet!_

……

_Almost there! Please, not yet—_

Sasuke sped forward more quickly than he ever had in his entire life. To him, the entire world was but a blank void outside his hawk-like tunnel of vision. His black wings immediately shot back as he dove toward the lifeless body falling from the sky. The soft frame hit a few branches on its way down to the hard remains of the earth. In only a few seconds, she would be killed. If he didn't make it in time, Hinata would die a painful, delirious death.

An enormous explosion rocked the forest. Several of the Konoha and Oto shinobi reached the deck of the Haven to spot the spectacle. At first overawed by the intense destruction and the enormous carcass of the Sanbi polluting the landscape, their attention focused on a bright shining light in the middle of the chaos. Climbing higher and higher, the airship escaped into the clouds as a blue chakra grew greater and greater.

Several Akatsuki ninjas made it to the clearing to catch up to the foe they were earlier fighting with. The 'Reaper' of the Akatsuki Ninja Reserves would finally get his due and their dead comrades would finally be avenged! However, on reaching the charred clearing, they stopped. Many dropped their weapons at the sight. Others simply stared at the two beings bathed in blue chakra before them.

She slowly opened her eyes. They were heavy and she didn't think she even had the strength to align the details appearing before them. As if dreaming, as if still shining with hope, as if recognizing him simply from the presence of his soul and the gentle touch his body offered, her lips trembled.

"Sa…su…ke…"

Hinata smiled minutely before fading back into darkness.

The lightning chakra around the Uchiha youth skyrocketed as he held her closer to his body. It eventually grew into an enormous crane and spread its benevolent wings. The Akatsuki ninjas were no longer amazed. A new feeling emerged deep in their hearts.

His eyes opened.

A feeling they were sure their dead comrades must have felt before they died.

The killing intent in the air was enough to make a devil shudder.

But how could it be? They had the numbers. He was simply outnumbered this time. There was no way he…Simply no way…

"Move."

He knew that right? He knew he had no chance, right?

Suddenly everything felt light. There was a slight pinch but it was gone in an instant. The thoughts of the Akatsuki soldiers turned to dust. Their ethereal minds thought they saw heaven before they departed from their bodies. Yes…heaven…That would be a nice fantasy to think of before you died…Heaven.

Sasuke tore through the brigade of ninjas encased in his signature Chidori chakra. Anything that touched it was either vaporized or severed in a fountain of blood before the adjoining joint melted into a solid messy stump. His black wings were now spread wide as he clutched ever tighter to Hinata. Her warm blood was already spreading onto his clothing. Sasuke gritted his teeth and pushed further past the crowd. Walls upon walls of enemies were in his way. His speed was gradually decreasing as a result. The blue wings flapped once more as he made a detour into the skies towards the Haven. Higher and higher he climbed, his Sharingan making out the various signatures aboard the air fortress.

_Only a little more…Just a little more…_

Suddenly, an enormous chakra signature appeared before him, blocking his way. He made a sharp turn downwards, narrowly avoiding the swipe of a large golden whip. As Sasuke deactivated his lightning chakra for the time being, he felt the immense pressure hitting his body. Even in his Level 2 state, bearing with was an annoyance but it was more of a problem for Hinata. The poor girl was incapable of tolerating any extremities in her state. He lowered himself until he was at an acceptable height. The Haven flew further and further away, but he had bigger things to worry about right now.

Most particularly, one gigantic four-tailed phoenix with a singed wing. And from the looks of it, he was not in the best of moods.

The Yonbi rushed forward, its claws outstretched. It made to cut through both Sasuke and Hinata at once, but Sasuke activated his Mangekyou just in time. The normal Sharingan was unable to keep up with such lightning fast and nuanced movements, as the chakra aura surrounding the phoenix lashed out at him just as he dodged. However, even though the Mangekyou could predict several hundreds of moves at once, it required a staggering amount of chakra to keep active. Hitting it with the Tsukiyomi required too much of his already depleted supply; using the Amaterasu might work but if he wasn't close enough to hit it, he would miss, and the last thing he wanted was to put Hinata in any more harm. This only left the final technique of the Mangekyou to be used against the Yonbi but that required too much concentration and physical stamina.

A trail of golden projectiles flashed in front of his three-pointed eyes. Sasuke immediately barrel-rolled out of the way. Catching sight of the Yonbi, he could see that the foul bird was now launching its hard multi-hued feathers at the young Uchiha in an attempt to skewer him. Sasuke quickly took to the skies, swaying left and right to avoid the sharp projectiles.

_The size-to-speed ratio of those objects is too perfect…Even if I can see their movements, they're so big to get around…_

_Damn, _he thought to himself as his Mangekyou began to falter. Sasuke knew there wasn't any time to lose. The very basis for the cursed seal rested in its ability to convert the chakra contained in one's body into raw energy or even to use it for kinjutsu. If he found himself chakraless, the seal would begin to feed on his stamina, and like all cursed seal wielders, he would die.

His Sharingan reverted back to its normal three dotted form. The Yonbi hovered several yards ahead of him and spun in the air, riling up enough velocity for another round of golden shards. Sasuke held Hinata close to him and kissed her head as he awaited death. Everything was about to end for him but at least he wasn't going to die alone. And maybe his efforts would finally help him redeem his soul.

A trail of feathers suddenly pierced through the clouds located several meters above Sasuke. The raven haired lad was curious as to how the demon bird could mess up its aim so badly, until he caught sight of his savior—the scaly, spiraling hide of the Serpent Lord tackled the Yonbi before it could inflict any damage on Sasuke and Hinata. Screeching wildly as it nipped at the dragon, the Yonbi's neck was caught by Saiyruu and dragged straight down into a large mountain. Confident of his opponent's subdued state, Saiyruu made his way over to Sasuke and met eye to eye with him.

"**Sasuke-sama," **he said solemnly, offering his head for the weary Uchiha to rest. Sasuke took up the offer just as the phoenix began to recover, yet he remained standing. He melded back into his normal state, his black wings fading. Hinata shivered in his arms, but he couldn't be more relieved. _At least you're breathing, _he thought. However, in his mind he knew that unless they heavily damaged the Yonbi, escaping would be impossible. Also, Saiyruu was at his limit, as indicated by the various wounds and scratches on his underbelly.

"Saiyruu, I'm gonna need your help for a combination jutsu."

"**As you wish, Sasuke-sama. However, my time is nearly at its end. We must make this single effort count most."**

"Yeah," said the boy as he knelt down and cradled Hinata onto his bent arms. She stayed close to his body and this also kept his hands free to perform the required handseals. "Supply the chakra as I recompose it. This is going to be a Raiton attack."

"**Hai. May I ask what your strategy would be for an attack of this nature?" **inquired the dragon.

"Hit him head-on with full force. This should provide enough of a diversion for Hinata and me to get away," said Sasuke as he worked through the first set of seals. "We'll get off only a few seconds before you hit."

"**As you wish." **The Yonbi was finally back in the skies and launched many of its feathers at Saiyruu. The dragon dove down as its body looped back and forth between the various trees and mountains. Sasuke concentrated chakra into his feet whilst activating his Level 2 state once more. A large amount of electricity began to encircle him once more, only it began to spread all over the serpent's body. Finally encased in a shell of snake-like lightning, Saiyruu burst forth towards the Yonbi. Sasuke had already leapt off with the unconscious Hinata, the Lightning chakra covering his own body and protecting her at the same time. He didn't look back for an instant and from the corner of his eye, he could make out a great collision. The Yonbi barely avoided Saiyruu's rush but lost an entire wing and one of its tails. An enormous sonic screaming emanated as blood poured forth in torrents from its wounded body. The enormous beast squandered on one wing until finally crash-landing into one of the many damaged clearings.

Sasuke flew frantically, trying his best to catch up with the Haven. But just when he thought he would catch sight of it once more, he felt a pain in his heart. As he coughed out bloody vapors of breath into the air, his chakra began to fade. The wings flapped several times before lowering him into the forest. Descending further and further, until his feet finally touched solid earth, Sasuke deactivated his cursed seal and gently laid Hinata on the ground before wrenching a large amount of blood out from his lungs. Gasping for breath as he staggered like a mad drunkard, he took Hinata in his arms again and walked, wondering where in the world he could go.

_No…I won't give in…Not yet…_

* * *

Her body was cold but he was determined to change that. He had run far, far away with every inch of power he had in order to change that. The land had been a mess of charcoal, blood, bodies and smoldering wreckage. He had already ascertained the nature of her wounds and even though he had a hard time stopping the internal bleeding, a quick transfer of Life Gate energy fixed it, if only for the time being. Her external wounds were taken care of, but he wished a medic Nin was near by to be able to take better care of her. Until then, he would just have to do his level best. He had already scoured for whatever robes he could find in the wooden hut and luckily, there was a warm yet thin blanket remaining, which he used to cover her. Her undergarments were visible when he brought her out of her dangerous predicament, thanks to her hospital clothes and white robe being torn apart in the dissonance of violence that broke out when the Haven took off. A pair of shorts was all the clothing that was available in the house; no doubt someone was staying here recently. He gingerly slipped it in between her legs and pulled it up until it covered her lower waist. The blanket served as a means to cover her chest for now. He knew how much she disliked being naked, even if it was only a little bit. Always checking, always wandering if someone was watching her, always unsure about what to think of her body. 

Sasuke lay back against the wooden wall. His entire body was in pain but he was determined to bear with it. Portions of clothing on his back had been torn off, as two visible holes showed off his sore back, and his sleeves were missing. A headache caused him to remove his headband, but maybe it was just the stress of the past few days catching up with him. He looked towards Hinata once more, this time paying attention to her soft breathing. Without even knowing why, he placed the back of his hand against her cheek. The soft sensation was enough for him to remove it in a second. His hand stood like that for several minutes, suspended in the air. A somnolent feeling began to affect him as he felt his eyes getting heavy. He lay next to the futon Hinata was sleeping on as the floor creaked from his terse movements. On his side, he watched Hinata breathing in and out with a delicate rhythm. The soundless melody caused him to doze off. A feeling of serenity overcame him.

The deaths of legions of soldiers, the abject plans he created, the colossal pain that caused him to bite his lips until they bled and the mental stress which would have caused any normal man to go insane all led to this moment.

Uchiha Sasuke had finally reunited with Hyuuga Hinata, the girl he loved most.

--X--

**7:00 PM, Monday**

**Flying Air-Fortress Haven, Main Deck**

Tsunade sat in the chair allotted to her. _Definitely more comfortable…This makes a Hokage's chair look like a hunk of junk. _She looked out the window at the dark sky. The sun had already set and aside from the multiple beacons issuing forth from the wings and various nodes of the airship, she could clearly make out the stars in the sky. Currently they were moving south-west at a slow rate; it was her orders after all to survey the current situation before deciding on their next destination. But she also gave orders to all the rescue and ANBU squads that they were to rendezvous with the Haven at the River Country in seven days, regardless of whether they had found any survivors or not.

The Godaime looked at the officials before her and decided that it may have been better to hold her meeting in the ward. Gai and Kurenai couldn't make it due to their injuries; Naruto, who would act as captain of his ANBU squad if his unit leader had been killed in action, was still unconscious; her most brilliant tacticians, Shikamaru and Shikaku, were both attending to their loved ones, the former to Ino and the latter to his slightly injured wife; and many of the other ANBU squad commanders and Jounins (including Yamato and Danzo) had left to locate the survivors. Tsunade looked from the different clan leaders to whatever Jounins could make it, and sighed as she looked upon Jiraiya.

"We really got nailed today," she said with all seriousness as she crossed her legs. Having already had his share of speaking out on the topic of losing his village, Jiraiya simply grumbled in approval. "Kakashi," she said as she looked towards the Copy Ninja, "Could you begin first?"

"Hai," he said as he coughed a little before speaking further. "The casualties are as follows: out of all 2600 of our shinobi forces, 1900 have been estimated to be casualties, not including those 200 whose bodies were yet to be recovered. Inuzuka Kiba, Akimichi Chouji, Hyuuga Hinata, and…Uchiha Sasuke are part of that group. Amongst the villagers, there have been no casualties, and very minor injuries."

Each of the clan representatives maintained stern postures as they heard the names of their relatives being called out. Hiashi showed a slight shiver of anger but it quickly passed.

"Thank you Kakashi." She then turned to Hiashi. "Hiashi-sama, have there been any casualties amongst the Hyuuga Clan, besides Hinata who is missing?"

"No. Though we have had a few injuries, only one of them turned out to be serious. As for the issue of my elder daughter, I'm sure it is only a matter of time before she is located and brought back to me." Hiashi bowed deeply before the Godaime until he took his leave and it wasn't until he was out of sight did Jiraiya pass unaware looks to Tsunade about his leaving.

"He was to stay only until he and I both received the information we needed," she said as she closed her eyes. "Hinata may still be missing, but he doesn't wish to leave the daughter he still has alone for even a second." Tsunade wanted to discuss the results of the surgery with Hiashi, but that had been fixed for another day. She affixed her gaze on Jiraiya next. "Could you bring me that Kagura Maxi fellow you were telling me about in your report?"

In a few seconds, Maxi stood before Tsunade. Not much taller than Naruto when he was only 15, she looked at the young man with dull eyes. "Kagura-san—"

"Just Maxi is fine, Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade smiled a bit. "Hai, Maxi. Are you the captain of this magnificent ship?"

"Ahaha…Where'd you hear that?"

Tsunade looked to Jiraiya with confusion but eventually turned back to the brown-haired young man. "You built this ship correct? So that would make you the captain…"

"On the contrary ma'am," he said with a smile, "I was only commissioned to build this airship. Though I worked long and hard on it with my associates, I'm not its rightful captain. In fact, I was given the strictest orders by my employer that the captain should be…well…"

"Who?" Tsunade felt her girlish curiousness getting the better of her. Earlier, she would have normally smashed a table or two in half, but after expending her physical strength for two days straight, she simply felt a lilting feeling in her head. Perhaps it was the pain-killers taking effect, but as long as it didn't interfere in her duties as the Hokage, she wasn't complaining.

"Heh. The one sitting in that chair."

But then no depressants or painkillers were enough to keep her from bursting out in surprise at that moment as her single 'WHAT?!' echoed throughout the ship.

"Is…Is this some kind of joke...? Yes, that's what it is…A joke…"

"Sasuke would be pretty mad if he heard you say that, Tsunade-sama," said Maxi as he took out a few papers from the pouch strapped around his waist. One of them was laminated and still maintained its clean-cut appearance. "This is the ship permit, signed by me, Kagura Maxi, to the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade. Sorry if I don't know your last name," he said scratching his head with nervousness as he handed her the papers. Tsunade took them and looked over them anxiously as Maxi continued. "Sasuke spent nearly 85 of his inheritance to build this ship and even then, it could only serve as an advance. As you, or I should say Jiraiya-san, would be the one to finish payment on it, he thought it was only right that you maintain ownership of it."

"I see…This…is quite a lot to take in, that's for sure."

"But of course," said Maxi as he bowed with respect towards her, causing Jiraiya to arch an eyebrow from suspicion. "You must be very tired. Shall I have one of my staff show you to your quarters on the topmost deck? The view is very splendid from there."

Tsunade simply didn't know how to react. In two days, she had coordinated reports between Konoha and the Sand regarding Akatsuki's attacks, fought against Hinata in a brutal life-or-death battle, defended and lost her village against a mob of invading soldiers and three tailed beasts, tended to nearly hundreds of injured shinobi, and now, claimed ownership over a massive airship, one that could even the odds against Akatsuki quite a bit. She smiled wearily once more, knowing that there was still plenty left to achieve. Those 200 brave Leaf Nins had to be found, and the injured had to be cared for accordingly. She would have to discuss a plan of attack with Shikamaru and her other strategists involving the other villages because after receiving information that Otogakure had been attacked prior to Konoha, she was sure it was only a matter of time before the legions of Akatsuki forces reached them as well. Now was a time for all the Hidden Villages to unite in the face of a common enemy, and hopefully, work towards a permanent peace solution for the future. The army of Sound ninjas on board would have to be included in the attack, as they no doubt displayed great prowess in battle. This reminded her of the presence that had been standing in the corner all this time.

His hair was long, the straight silver locks reaching down to his abdomen. His gruff and sharp hairy face hid his gentle resolve; his sharp eyes were closed at the moment as he leaned against the wall. He was still dressed in his black trench-coat and trousers which had been stained with blood from the battle against the forces at Konoha's main gate after Tsunade and her group retreated. Oddly enough, he hadn't had a single injury on him at the time.

"Hittori-sama."

The man raised his head and revealed his eyes in response to Tsunade's words.

"About the Oto nins who helped us…"

"They are all unharmed." He said as he walked towards Tsunade heavily and bowed. "Do not fret over any minor scratches or bruises they may have received, Hokage-sama. Our family has been trained to fight through pain."

"Actually, I just wanted to say…Thank you." The man's eyes met Tsunade's relieved face. "Thank you to all the Sound ninjas and towards your great clan. Without you, we would have never survived. Thank you, Hittori-sama."

The man steadily straightened himself, nodded and made for the door. He stopped midway however, and smiled as he closed his eyes. "You are always welcome, Tsunade-sama."

Maxi watched him leave and shuddered. "Hittori Shirow…Creepiest dude in the entire clan…But that aside, before you retire for the night, what are your orders, Tsunade-senchou?"

Tsunade smiled and raised her voice loud for the crew and other ninjas to hear. "Ossu! After we arrive at the River Country, we will make our way in to the Wind Country, towards Sunagakure. There we will evacuate any non-fighting civilians and also enlist the aid of the Suna shinobi. My orders for afterwards will be decided once our forces have recovered and been properly established! For now, to the River Country!"

The entire crew gave a shout of approval before adjusting the ship to pick up speed. Tsunade dismissed the other clan leaders, before giving them all honest assurances that they would wait for as long as they could until their relatives were found, after which she was led by a young engineer to her room on the top floor. As she entered the elevator with Jiraiya, she leaned against the old man with exhaustion.

"They're all good people," she said with exhaustion, as she clung to his arm. "Reminds me of our village."

"Yeah…You miss it, too?"

The woman dozed off a little more on his arm before saying with unusual calmness. "Why should I? Its still there…Hidden amongst the leaves…All we have to do is rebuild it, that's all…"

Jiraiya laid his head on top of Tsunade's and agreed. They would rebuild it. For their generation, and the next and then the next. Even if it was destroyed again and again, they would still rebuild it, their home contained in the comforting shade of the leaves. As they reached the top floor, the Toad Sannin found his fellow partner to already be asleep. He grunted as he lifted her up in his arms, and after bidding goodbye to the young girl, he made his way down the hall towards the end. The captain's suite was quite luxurious, even requiring a key card to open (which thankfully was on the large mahogany table; the password for the door hadn't been set yet to his relief), but Jiraiya didn't feel like gawking. He lay Tsunade down on her queen-sized bed. Just as he tried to leave, he found her arm still latched onto his. Jiraiya looked around a bit and sighed.

"I must be getting old," he said to himself aloud. He gingerly replaced her arm on her pillow and watched as she comforted herself in the velvety blankets. Then, upon reaching the door, he turned towards her once more.

"Sweet dreams…Hokage-sama."

--X--

_Let's see, _thought Shizune to herself as she walked through the halls of the medical ward. It was nearly 11 in the night and most of the patients were already asleep, some of their own will, others against it. Her rounds were already complete; the only person left to check up on was Hanabi.

But as she arrived at the room, she caught sight of a figure draped in black. His head was bowed down as he looked upon the damaged Hyuuga girl. The medic Nin approached with caution, not sure if it was someone she recognized or not. If it was indeed an ally, she wasn't going to let her nerves get the better of her and foolishly attack.

"May I help you?" she asked, her voice only a little shaky. "Visiting hours are already over for everyone but famil--" Her eyes scanned towards where Hiashi had lay unconscious in his chair, and getting no response from the person only caused her to do the one logical thing. Her clipboard fell to the floor; she exposed to the needle launchers attached to her forearm by rolling up her sleeve.

"Who are you?" Her voice was quiet, yet full of conviction.

The man raised his hands up. Shizune caught sight of what looked like a Konoha forehead protector in one of them, only a deep scratch had been made on the Leaf symbol.

"Are you Tsunade-sama's apprentice, Shizune?"

The woman gulped. "If I am?"

"How skilled are you at operations?"

"What in the world are you saying?" Shizune inched closer to the figure but stopped as he turned around. She still couldn't make out the details of his face. The mask on his head looked vaguely familiar. Its varying black and white spirals suddenly struck her memory with full force. Was it really the Akatsuki ninja Tobi standing before her? A shudder ran through her shoulders, but she kept her weapon posed.

His face moved forward into the light. She gasped as she finally realized the identity of the man before her. And it wasn't just Tobi without his mask on, as she found herself frozen by a strange feeling of dread. However, the former Akatsuki ninja simply walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I mean no harm, Shizune-san. I only wish to help this young girl here."

--X--

A black piece of rubble fell noisily on the blood stained ground. Several shinobi bodies lay sprawled here and there. A young Genin, dressed in the enemy's colors, was still in severe pain, wondering if his allies would still come and help. He made a few desperate calls but no response could be discerned. Faint laughter emitted from his damaged lungs as he wheezed painfully. Tears streamed down his ashen cheeks. He died calmly, with only the faint comfort of knowing the truth—that no matter how close he was to his fellow Nins in the reserves, the main individuals behind Akatsuki really didn't give a damn about their soldiers. For soldiers could be replaced; hours and hours of deft effort could be achieved once more. However, results, once they came, made everything else seem moot. Because results, especially the perfect one that the Leader had aspired for, couldn't be replaced.

"Another soul has departed," said a shadowy figure as it sat on the disfigured bench of what was once the Ninja Academy.

"Hai," said the figure next to it, with calculating coldness.

The Leader's dark orange hair and bespectacled green eyes looked upon the monument range which was currently being torn down. The Shodaime and Nidaime's heads had already lay crumbled on the floor and the various freemasons were working on dismantling the Sandaime's face.

"A shame about the Shodaime's statue. I would have kept it for myself as some sort of memorabilia if it wasn't so large. Not that I needed a man's face to know the importance of his existence."

"You mean the friendship he shared with Madara?" The figure pushed his straw-hat aside as his scratched metal forehead protector was revealed. Laying the hat on the body a rather large Leaf Nin's corpse, Itachi looked upon his superior with the same emotionless yet exacting eyes he had on the day he murdered his clan.

"So much has happened since that day so many years ago…When I first decided to band this organization together. And to think, that only you and I are aware of its true purpose. I thought Tobi would come to understand," he said, as the sound of nibbling began to issue forth from a nearby corpse, "But he abandoned us as soon as I told him one of the feints of our plan."

"Yes. But aside from me, you haven't really placed your trust in anyone else."

"That diktat I gave you, that incited you to murder your whole clan…I wonder, Itachi-onii-chan…Did you do that purely because it was the will of a Hekigan user? Or because you were genuinely frustrated with your clan? Or maybe it was because you wanted the best for your brother?"

Itachi looked away slowly. "I simply wanted for the clan to be restored to its original glory. Also, you mustn't denigrate your status by using such suffixes for me, Leader-sama."

"Perhaps you're right. It has no role in my plan and yet, it is something I desire. In the end, this organization is only a means to what I desire, and to what I shall receive, no matter what."

"Sasuke?"

The leader smiled. "Yes. Sasuke-kun. It is he who will help me make all my dreams come true. Everything we've done throughout his entire life has led to this. Having him investigate the Nanako Shrine and bestowing him with the details of the stone tablet, attacking him in the Lightning Country to not only break his spirit but Orochimaru's as well, his falling in love with _that _Hinata and becoming almost one with _her_ darling soul, having him gain the Mangekyou and learning its deepest secrets—"

"To achieve what you want, in return for helping me realize my destiny…but you could have used my abilities."

"Only he has mastered all 3 of the Mangekyou's doujutsu. Unless he plunges back into darkness and thirsts after power once more, which he will not as long as she is by his side, everything will work accordingly. Hence the reason for restricting our forces within 10 kilometers of this village. Of course, they will capture other strategic points, such as hospitals and small towns, but I wish for you to relay once more that no inspection of houses or huts will be done. Anyone violating this rule will be tortured and killed slowly."

"Hai, Leader-sama," said Itachi as he bowed curtly.

"Now, as for the Kyuubi," said the short figure, as he snapped his fingers three times. The munching stopped as a limb fell to the floor and in just a few seconds, an adult female with shoulder-length brown hair came before him. She kneeled next to the Leader, a hazy look swimming through her eyes. The Leader took out a napkin and proceeded to wipe the blood from her mouth. "I believe she will be strong enough to defeat him. And that blond brat as well."

"The Eight-Tails…"

"Yes. And now thanks to your ingenious skill and tactics, we have a much more powerful creature than before," he said. He dropped the bloodied cloth, and the young girl proceeded to rest on his lap. However, he stood up and stroked her hair lovingly as she took up his seat on the bench. With a few more gentle strokes and some coaxing, she fell asleep. "Everything will fall into place perfectly and then, I can have what I want. Maybe I'll even put you in a more positive role in Sasuke's life," he said, which caused Itachi to swiftly move his hand away when he reached for it. This caused the Leader to giggle, and then, sure that none could see him, he dropped his disguise. His long orange hair elongated into a brilliant blue mane as his eyes suddenly lost their green color. His body returned to its feminine proportions, and once more making sure that no one was watching, the petite girl moved closer to Itachi. She hugged him from behind, knowing full well that he would not return the gesture. **"Don't be mad Onii-chan. Remember, I need you to get what I want."**

"Hai," said Itachi as he turned around and looked at her pale face and crystal blue eyes set against a shade of lavender.

"Hinata-sama."

**

* * *

****Author's Notes:** Bwahaha! The mother of all plot-twists!! 

**Tenten of the Counterattack! Hanabi's Training! Beginning of the End? Lover's Moonlit Night! Next! Chapter 11: Together!**


	12. Chapter 11: Together

**My Eyes**

By Shiranui the Brave

**Author's Notes:** Since there was quite some confusion in the last chapter, let me clear it all (okay, only some of it) up right here. The reason I specified that I'd like to get the _Hikari_ saga finished before moving onto any more updates with this story is because it explains everything in full detail, especially concerning why Hinata is the leader of Akatsuki. About that point though-- currently, in the universe where this story is taking place, there are two Hinatas. Yes, you heard right. **Two. **Don't ask me how for now; you'll get all your answers once all the other stories are complete. We'll see how the schedule I made turns out for the other stories. Now, for some SasuHina fan service! Hooha! Enjoy!

* * *

As they walked among the scattered remains of what was once Konoha, Uchiha Itachi and Hinata measured their surroundings. The only area left unharmed, both by the attack and the later demolition, was the Uchiha Clan complex and the Nanako Shrine. Unpleasant memories filled Itachi's mind as he entered the shrine for the second time in his life.

"_What?! You want me to what?! But that power belongs to me and me only! I refuse to let a weakling such as Sasuke live to--"_

_His arms and legs began to twist in a wretched fashion, the chakra weapons and chains tightening around his tendons until they began to bleed. Hinata looked upon him, her eyes flashing with the danger that only a blue abyss of scorn could cause._

"_**You will learn your place, Uchiha. Do you know what you are in front of the great queen of Valkyrie? Nothing. You have been given your part to play in this unfolding drama, and if you are truly a descendant of Madara, you will accomplish it.**__" The weaponry sinking into Itachi's skin disappeared; he fell to his knees painfully, bowing his head before his mistress. __**"Sasuke-kun must be left to live…It is the only way that he can obtain the ultimate power…The devilish ability to reform space and matter that only the Mangekyou can provide…And after the death of his clan, once he knows of what is within the shrine, his desire to obtain it will only grow…Until finally…"**_

_Itachi raised his eyes to see something that would remain imprinted in his mind for all eternity. The image of the sweet girl who accosted him and incited him to kill his best friend as his divine duty was but a faint facsimile at that moment. Her sick smile and hungry eyes twitched madly as she said with a sweet sadistic glee._

"_**He will be mine." **_

"**Onii-chan?"**

Itachi snapped back to the present and acknowledged the leader with his gaze.

"**Is something the matter?"** Hinata held his arm as she looked at him worriedly.

He stood stationary for a moment as she looked into his eyes. The pale face complimented by a glowing shade and dimpled cheeks, the cute pout of her slightly open mouth and the innocence reflected in her voice showed she was concerned about him…And yet, her eyes…

"No. Nothing is wrong. Hinata-sama," he said, before they continued their visit of the shrine.

**Chapter 11: Together**

"Welcome to the Fujin Medical Center," the young nurse said enthusiastically. The men who had just arrived, dressed in outfits of black with red clouds laid out on top of them, looked from one to the other with aplomb and approached her. Her smile didn't fade one bit as she stood confidently.

"We're looking for some rogue ninjas, affiliated with the Hidden Village of the Leaf. They were injured in a battle that took place not long ago, and we have reason to believe that they passed through here. Do you mind if we have a look around for any clues?"

The girl smiled once more. Her nervousness was perfectly concealed and gave no indication of the shinobi huddled under the reception desk with his kitana unsheathed and prepared to strike out at the men should they become any wiser. His faith in the woman was robust—she had concealed him and his allies for this long, after all—but if he had to, he would retrieve them from their hospital beds in the basement and abandon this place, leaving no evidence behind of their stay. And that included the pretty young nurse.

_Calm down,_ he said to himself. _Follow the plan carefully._

The nurse bent down towards the table, her prim white outfit drawing the men's attention towards her figure, and withdrew a portfolio from one of the drawers. Her eyes met his for a brief moment; she winked assuredly and moved back towards the men, as they tried to avert their eyes before she noticed. She opened her file and turned to the required page. "You must be referring to those evil men who came here earlier. Our doctors refused them treatment, but that turned out to be unnecessary in the end." She motioned to the word 'DECEASED', stamped in bold red over each of the Konoha Nin photos. "Real rabble-rousers, especially that one. But thankfully, they've left us for good. Would you still like to have a look around?"

The men quietly scanned through the documents for a few minutes, confirming which wounds and features to identify them by. Satisfied by what they saw, they looked at the nurse. "No, I don't think that'll be required Thank you for your cooperation, Ojo-san."

"Don't mention it!" The words were cheerful and she even added a bit of a skip to her step. Her bouncing black hair caught their cheerful goodbyes as she sealed the door to the nursing home.

Sai emerged from the desk, sheathing his kitana. His cast felt itchy from being scrunched up beneath the desk all that while but he bowed respectfully before the nurse. "Thank you very much. I appreciate your efforts in helping us.

The girl waved her hands in the air and laughed nervously. "Ah! Don't worry about that! It's the least I could do for someone as handsome as you, sir!" The nurse emphasized the last line with a cheerful giggle.

Sai also smiled and tilted his head to the side. "Thank you once again."

With one rapid motion and the faint click of steel leaving its scabbard, Sai slashed right through the nurse's torso. A rain of blood spilled from her gut as she fell onto the floor, and within moments of her agonizing screams, the Akatsuki shinobi from before rushed inside to subdue him. There were six of them in total, and they made to surround the young man, but he kept his eyes calmly lashed and bobbed his head at the ceiling. Before they could ascertain the significance of such a gesture, four bears, with intricate detailing and black outlines leaped upon them from behind. Caught off gurad, the ninjas began to slash at their inky masses. However, just as they had finished exterminating each of them, the oxygen abruptly caught in their throats. Turning towards Sai, who stood on top of one of the couches in the waiting room to wrap up the scroll he placed on the ceiling, blood from their nose, mouth and even their ears began to spill on the floor. Eventually, they died vomiting their own blood, victims as they were to the effervescence that the poisoned ink radiated in its shapeless form.

Sai moved to the outside of the center to find the real nurse tied up and gagged. Upon seeing him, she relaxed. With a few surgical slashes, the black-haired girl got to her feet. Upon brushing the dust and grass off her clothing, she entered the place to see the carpet drowned in blood. "I thought I said I didn't want any blood shed in the nursing home, Sai-san," she said, shaking her head with shame. "But I must admit, your skills are truly amazing. How did you know that nurse was a fake?"

"You haven't made any flirtatious passes at me even once in our entire stay here. I took that to be your defining trait. Needless to say, that ninja who transformed into you lacked that one essentiality," he said monotonously, as he poured ample sawdust from a bottle over the exposed ink on the floor. The vapors of the ink slowly disappeared and were replaced by the raw smell of the grains. "That and the fact that it would be odd for a nurse to be here this early in the morning." He pointed to the position of the rising sun, making note of the time to be 6 AM.

"I see. But still, I'll need your help in cleaning this up. Sensei would throw the book at me if he saw this. However," she said, as she made her way towards the supply room. Upon removing the carpet, and lifting a few tiles from their place, she revealed the metal ladder leading to the basement beneath the nursing home. "Let's check up on your friends first. Its time for their medication, after all." Sai simply leaped noiselessly into the hole as the girl followed him in casually. A few switches were flipped and before they knew it, they were facing the slumbering bodies of Chouji, Kiba and Akamaru.

It had been nearly two weeks since the destruction of Konoha and the evacuation of the village via airship towards an as-of-yet unknown destination. His role during the invasion consisted of drawing the intruders into several man-made choke points from which he would dispatch of them using his melee-style creatures and projectile weapons. This would allow the villagers more time to escape and relieve the burden felt by his comrades on the mount. Of course, he couldn't make it to the airship on time, but as the enemy spilled into the village, he made his escape via the hidden forest routes along the Nanako River. In a few minutes, he happened upon Chouji, lying broken and unconscious in the forest. His condition was terrible, and Sai had to use every painkiller, numbing agent and bandage in his backpack to keep him from dying. Later he even initiated a blood transfusion, his O+ blood type proving a boon once more. It wasn't until a few days later, at least 20 kilometers away from the village, that he came face-to-face with a savagely deranged Kiba and his canine ally, who had already lay motionless (no doubt from chakra and stamina depletion). Incapacitating Kiba had proved to be tough; his mental imbalance was one of the many horrible side-effects of utilizing his jutsu for too long. 'Self-induced insomnia coupled with accelerated adrenaline production' was the nurse's diagnosis. Perfect for eliminating fatigue and allowing the body to react quickly and fight through any kind of punishment. The induced insomnia caused him to slowly forget his own conscience the entire time he had the jutsu active, until he reached the point where he couldn't even remember how to entirely cancel the jutsu out.

Sai lay on his bed calmly. He could only hope that they were a lot better off now than two weeks ago. It seemed like this would be the last medical facility they could visit for a while. Even with their injuries, regrouping with the Leaf army was necessary if a counter-attack was to be initiated. The nurse moved to Sai, and handed him his pills which he gulped down one by one. After drinking the water offered to him, he sat up and looked at his fellow Konoha shinobi.

"What will you do now? Shinobi squads usually send reinforcements, don't they?" said the nurse as she tied her hair into a pony-tail.

"Yes. When one platoon fails to report, another force, usually consisting of two full ninja platoons usually turn up to investigate. They will doubtless send stronger opponents after us. Therefore, we will abandon this place and travel into the territory of our allies within the Wind Country. They will offer us sanctuary there once they know who we are."

The young woman inhaled sharply, but looked to Sai with relief. "I'll make sure you and your friends have enough medical supplies to make it there in one piece, though the weather will be blazing hot at this time of year. But first things first, Mr. Elite Killer," she said as she handed him a mop from beneath one of the beds. "That mess in the lobby. Let's get to it."

Smiling genuinely and nodding, he muttered the word 'Hai' and took the handle in both his hands.

After helping to clean up the mess he made, Sai bade good-bye to the nurse. Chouji and Kiba were awake and slightly cheerful. The thought of finally regaining one's sense was always comforting but not when they were feeling this much. However, they already had their time to recover, and now it was time to get a move on. From their Roots Squad emergency reports, conveyed directly to Danzo by Tsunade before the attack, it seemed as though the Hidden Village of Sound had offered its reinforcements. Also a giant airship, which could only be found in the Snow Country to the far north of the ninja world map, had appeared and managed to ferry the survivors off to safety. Any questions about Hinata's safety were left unanswered, but inwardly, Kiba seethed upon realizing that it was Sasuke who showed up to help the village. Besides not being able to get over his betrayal five years ago, now it seemed he had grown closer to the one person that he swore he would never lose. Granted their relationship was still unknown (Hinata stated that they were friends and she was always known to treat each of her friends with equal kindness) but his instincts told him otherwise.

"You know, I never asked your name," said Sai warmly.

The nurse sighed and began to push him from behind towards his waiting team-mates. "Now, let's have none of those tearful parting moments, Sai-san." However, before reaching Chouji and Kiba, she hugged him tightly from behind and whispered something into his ear. Eyebrows arched, he looked back at her as she smiled mischievously. "Thanks for saving me. I owe you one. Sayonara…Sai."

As they hiked through the forest at a comfortable pace (despite Kiba and Akamaru's whines to 'speed up', which were later followed by whines of 'slow down' when they actually attempted the former, indicating their as of yet remaining wounds), Sai thought with pleasure about the two weeks he and his allies spent in the medical center.

_Sayonara…Sakura-san_, he thought before continuing on his way.

--X--

**6:30 PM**

**Mirai Village, Northern Fire Country Territory**

The popular multi-cuisine restraunt, Aram, was busy as usual. Many customers, among them shinobi, entered into the roomy, well-designed structure to get their fill for the day. Those who missed lunch and those who couldn't wait for dinner appeared in spades. As such, it was a no smoking atmosphere, but the fires from the kitchen made sure that the distinct smell of grilled meat and smoked vegetables spread throughout the adjoining areas. One's nose was ready for a feast every time a visit to Aram was made.

"Hey, new guy! Two shrimp dinners for table 7!" said the waiter loudly.

The red-haired youth brought his first two fingers up in response and in fifteen minutes flat, he had already prepared the meals. Wiping the sweat accumulated from the job off his brow, he set to work on the next order. The other chefs simply watched in awe in between chopping onions and preparing the seasonings. The waiter, however, was relieved that he wouldn't have to rush towards the assigned table. This new chef was taking pressure off everyone's shoulders ever since he arrived, and he couldn't be happier.

"Oye, that new chef…How long has he been working here?" Another waiter, holding a couple of bowls of soup in one tray and a few bottles of sake in the other walked towards his partner.

"About a week or so. I think it was 9 days."

"Damn…And he was made head chef so quickly. Don't you find that strange?"

"Hell yeah, it's strange. Especially since he didn't know anything about cooking when he first arrived here." This caused the other chef to stop in his tracks.

"Are you kidding?! I can't even remember his name, and yet he displaced our old chef in a matter of hours! Who the hell is he anyway?!"

The first waiter stopped and thought pensively. "Hmm…I think his name was Raven…Could be wrong though…"

--X--

"Will that be all for today, Angel?"

"Hai, Ojii-sama. Thank you very much," said the teenage girl. Her shoulder-length amber hair was tied and tucked behind her, moving into her plain white dress. Her forearms were bandaged completely as she shuffled the bags of groceries gently. "You're patented can soup is always the best."

The old shopkeeper laughed kindly. "I'm glad. I hope it's helped you to recover, little one. When you first came to this village, you were as deathly as a ghost, you know. Why, even after all that time, your arms are still damaged. Those ninja civil wars nowadays are such a nuisance. I hope that place is working out for you and your husband."

"Ah," she said nervously, bringing her hand to her lips as she blushed. "H-He's not my husband. W-We're just friends, that's all!"

Her ruddy cheeks told the old man otherwise. "I'm sure you are," he said gently. "But when it finally does happen, make sure you invite me to the wedding. Wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Hai," she said as she looked at her feet coyly. "No wait! I-I mean…! Well, I-I…"

The shopkeeper chuckled once more and patted her on the head. "You're a good girl, Angel. Take care and get well soon."

The young girl nodded once more before being on her way, her pale eyes reflecting the sun's bright rays.

Upon arriving at her temporary home, Hinata shut the door tightly and kept her back to the door. She sighed quietly before shuffling through the plastic sacks for a small brown paper bag. A few rattles emanated from it; upon removing two pills from their plastic casing, she swallowed them and made her way to the sink for a glass of water. Setting the various fruits and vegetables on the table, she released her transformation jutsu, lay gingerly on the futon and set about reading the book 'Born from a Storm', which she obtained from the public library. After a few hours, a small pain emerged in her joints and abdomen, but it halted after a few minutes. It was around that time she fell asleep.

Waking up to a strong feeling against her back and a smooth face upon her head, she shifted her sight to the figure behind her and smiled. Relaxing once more, she sat back a little more onto his soft body. Unbeknownst to her, bowl of soup was being stirred before her by his hands. He lifted a spoonful up towards her mouth. Hinata felt the burning hot liquid singe her lips; a slight quiver of her head indicated her reaction before she drank the delicious substance.

"Gomen ne," she said, as her blue bangs covered her eyes.

His head still upon hers, Sasuke said nothing in response.

"You have to do so much to take care of me…To take care of us…Gomen ne…"

Another flush came over her face as she felt his warm cheek next to hers.

"I must have overheated the soup," he said as he brought his lips closer to the spoon before Hinata and blew it calmly. "I hope it hasn't lost too much of its taste." The dark haired boy motioned the soup-full spoon to her lips once more, and eyed her tenderly. She clamped her mouth over it as her cheeks turned pink but her eyes never left his. "Don't feel bad. I didn't have much money on me anyway, so whether you were injured or not, I would have had to get a job sooner or later. Other than that, this is usually the best part of my day…Hinata."

Relieved and flattered she was, but that wasn't the reason for her happiness. Hinata turned around and hugged him tightly (at least as tight as her present condition would allow). "Could we sit on the roof? The sun will be setting soon."

"Sure."

On the rooftop of their apartment complex, the two sat side-by-side overlooking the town now drenched in various tones of orange and red. The horizon shimmered almost hypnotically, yet Hinata couldn't take her eyes off the sight. Catching sight of a number of birds flying past the orange silhouette of the sun, she found her cousin's face coming to her mind yet again. Maybe getting over it would be impossible, but as her eyes fell upon Sasuke's gentle demeanor, she felt her whole world turn into nothing more than a void, a whirlwind of turmoil, where she sat calmly in the center.

"Just like those times we spent together," she said wistfully.

"Hm?"

"It seems then whenever we're together, the time is never enough. Be it a day or a year. And when we separated, it felt like I'd never see you again. When you told me how you left a month before my return to Konoha to fight, alone, against Akatsuki, I didn't think you'd come back alive. But another part of me felt sad…Like you had left me behind to protect me…" The sadness and pessimism she managed to hold at bay for all these years somehow began to materialize once more. "I just wish I could've gone with you. That's all."

"Hinata," he said, his eyes still on the setting sun. "For the past one month, I woke up with the thought that I may die from what I was doing. No two battles were ever the same, since some places would have higher concentrations of Hunters and ANBUs while others would have low-level shinobi. It's no lie that I could have died on several occasions, yet I persevered. Now, in that kind of situation, where you may never be able to see your family and friends again, all for a cause that no one will appreciate you for, why would you risk your life alongside me?"

Hinata placed her hand on his face and looked at him with all earnestly. "So that I wouldn't ever have this feeling of you never returning, if you left me… I just wanted to feel…L-Like I could be with you forever…Sasuke-kun."

She felt her body being drawn close to his, the warmth of their bodies uniting. "From now on, we'll face it all together. I promise. I won't leave you again." His tone broached no argument, and yet, Hinata felt relieved that it did. She rested her face against his chest, and believed him, like all the times before. Everything he had done for her up to that point—did he think she didn't know he was doing it all for her? To save her life, that of her family along with the world she was so happy to be born in? Maybe he knew, maybe he didn't but deep in Hinata's heart, whether he would lie or kill or hurt, she'd always believe in him.

Even if it would cost her her life.

As the sun set and night fell upon the sleepy town, Hinata washed her face several times in the bathroom after brushing her teeth. Looking into the mirror's frame at her lavender eyes for a few seconds, as if mentally questioning herself, she reentered the single room where their beds were placed. A strange feeling came over as she remembered one of the thoughts in her head. When her battle against Tsunade was about to commence, she had a feeling that was hard to put into words. Memories of that sensation were faint at first, but tonight they seemed to have manifested in a wholesome form. The moon illuminated the room and the boy who had been sleeping on the floor. He had his back to her and appeared to be fast asleep. Carefully laying herself on her futon, she looked at his stern form. Dressed in a sleeveless that didn't bear the Uchiha fan symbol, his breathing was remarkably slow. Hinata stayed awake for half an hour, just staring at his head, his shoulders— his entire body.

"Go to sleep," the words came from his direction.

Her hand moved out towards his hair. She brushed against it at first, as goosebumps appeared on his neck. Sasuke's face, though not visible to her, lay devoid of any emotion; every feeling was being felt from the inside, in his mind. Gradually, her curious fingers moved towards his back. At that moment he turned around and met her eyes. A look of pure clarity greeted him.

"Sasuke-kun—"

The increasing closeness of his face silenced her. At first all she felt was a brush against her lips, but it became more firm. Her eyes closed as slowly as his did, until she felt against her face a blind thrill of pleasure. She didn't move, unwilling she was to shatter the utter beauty of the moment. Moving from her lips, he began to kiss her cheeks calmly, his nose tracing a soothing path against the right side of her face. Still unwilling to move, Hinata could only feel. For a situation in which words failed her and for her character for which words meant very little next to feeling, it was a mysterious garden she had just entered. One where every little flower she touched emitted a pleasant feeling; where each aroma filled her with a new force of life, full of desire and caprice. As she lay on the sun-kissed grass of the garden, slumber overcame her senses, shifting her into another paradise, one more surreal yet defined then the last.

Her face was pressed tightly against his shirt as her body lay on top of him. The couple's feet were entwined, as Sasuke clutched her hand and looked out at the moonlight. Her soft hair was openly sprawled over his face, its fragrance dulling his senses with their silky fibers. Sasuke kept his hand on her head and drew her closer, taking care not to hurt her still-recovering frame. The days they would be staying in this calm town and living these peaceful unassuming times were coming to a close. Tomorrow, they would have to resume their journey as ninjas, and once they had located the Haven, the hunt for Akatsuki would begin afresh. He would have to reunite her with her family. He would have to atone for his sins against the village. But all of that would come in a matter of a few days if not a week. In the long term, only one thought entered his mind.

_When that day comes…Hinata…I won't let anything happen to you…When I have to sacrifice my life, you won't be coming with me…Because…I can't let you take that path…_

His grip on her tightened as he bit his lips hard.

_Why? _

Her breathing began to match his perfectly. For those brief moments, Sasuke and Hinata were as one.

_Because… I love you._

Sasuke looked at the moon for one last time and calmly fell asleep, a smile on his lips.

--X--

Early the next morning, Sakura looked at the sunset, her pink hair moving with the blowing winds as she stood on the open docking area. A strange theory, which she wanted to test out actually came to work regarding the chakra reinforcement on the deck of the area which she was busy testing late last night; hopefully, it would come in handy later on. A few minutes later, Tenten, who was limping, joined her. Ignoring orders to stay in bed all day, her resilience showed through in her usual cheeky smile. She moved next to the medic ninja and eyed the rising sun with keen interest.

"Thanks for all the treatment you've been giving me," she said kindly. "Especially on that day."

"Don't worry about it, honestly! I'm just happy that I got my leg mended, that too before getting on the ship. Else, helping out all those patients in the beginning would have been a real head-ache."

"Yeah. But still, it's too bad…That some of them didn't make it…"

The words faded slowly from the Weapon Mistress's side as silence overcame them but her companion quickly broke it.

"Incidents like that happen all the time. All we can do is be thankful for the ones God decided to deliver from death. Maybe next time, Akatsuki won't send such a huge force after us. I mean, talk about overkill—huge armies, huge beasts…" At this point, Sakura raised her eyebrows and smirked. "You think they're trying to compensate somewhere?"

Tenten and Sakura both giggled aloud at the comment.

The young Jounin's smile showed how genuinely happy she was to be alive, but deep down she knew that as a shinobi, she would have to grow stronger and endure in order to bypass her limits. Having Gai as her sensei all those years strangely seemed to be having an effect on her at times like these, where there was no where else to turn for hope. However, her troubling thoughts stayed bottled up. This time, she would face the future, and not spend her time fighting for solace in a past that was never going to return with a man whose spirit was long past the issue of death and life. A new goal had been established in her mind, and after she heard the details from Kakashi and Shikamaru, she made her decision. "Sakura-san…There's something I want your help with. It's a pretty selfish thing on my part but…"

Sakura looked at her and tried to read her expression. It turned out to be a mix of desire and duty but largely governed by a stand of honor. "What is it, Tenten?"

"Those men I fought against on the monument, the Dusk Squad…They were very strong…No, I think its right to say I was outnumbered, and because of that, Hanabi-chan—" Tenten's voice stifled in her throat but she started anew. "What I want right now…That is to say, what I have to do now…is defeat them. But I can't do it alone. And I can't do it the way I currently am…That's why I thought, since your one of the best kunoichi in the village…"

"You want me to help you take revenge?" Sakura was now very serious as her eyes fell upon Tenten. However, she was equally testing her resolve in the matter.

"No. This is not about revenge. It's about…" At that instant, a familiar scene flashed before her eyes. Closing them for only a few seconds, the imagery returned to her, so fresh that it seemed to only be yesterday.

"_Neji!" she cried as she ran towards his fallen form. A small crater had been formed in the spot he had been standing in, and several trees had been felled. Many others had innumerable holes, their bark chipped away at every place. As she lifted his body onto her lap, she caught sight of his bloodied fingers, broken nails and disjointed bones._

"_N-Not yet," he said as his whole body trembled. He stood erect and almost immediately fell back on one knee. Tenten let out a small yelp as she struggled to support him. In between his coughs, she began to berate him, her face contorting in anger. Yet, everything went unheard by Neji, as he continued to mutter, "Not…yet…"_

"_Why?! Why, Neji," she screamed at him, her face lighting up with rage. She knew he lost against Naruto, someone whom he considered a novice, a dope, an idiot, a failure. But for him to struggle this much to improve and become stronger was insane. _

"_S-So I can get s-stronger…That's why…"_

"_For what?! Revenge?! Is this what you want? Are you doing this to yourself to get back at Naruto? Or are you just ashamed that you lost?! Which is it, Neji?!"_

_Neji chuckled to himself lightly, and when he looked at Tenten, his eyes showed something she had never seen before in all the time she knew him. No vengeance nor duty nor arrogance, but bliss. He was at peace._

"_I-I can't let any one b-beat me. I can't die...N-Not until I'm allowed to see…"_

"_What? See what?!"_

Tenten raised her eyes to Sakura once more, who didn't falter in her gaze one bit.

"I can't die. I can't let any one beat me. Not until I'm allowed to see," she said almost dreamily, her eyes romancing with past memories.

Sakura was confused and wasn't shy about clearing it up with her. "See? What?"

At that instant, her brown eyes looked up towards the sky. A couple of birds were flying above the ship, steady in their course. However, when the sun rose higher, they quickly veered away from their view, steadfast in their move towards the light.

"The one I love, smiling down on me with a proud face."

At that instant, Sakura didn't think twice. Her arms closed around Tenten as she hugged her softly. "Count me in this ragtag squad of warriors." Tenten remained standing, looking towards the light of the rising sun. Only her left hand lay against the pink-haired medic Nin's face, happy that at least her doctor sympathized with her.

"By the way, who else do you have in mind for your Anti-Dusk Squad?" said Sakura as she raised herself into a straight posture to look at her face.

"Anti-Dusk Squad…I like the sound of that," droned an apathetic voice. Sakura turned to see a man dressed in an ANBU vest wearing a sleeveless blue shirt and navy blue slacks. In front of his face where a mask should have been, however, stood an orange book covered partly in blood. As the book lowered, she saw the man's masked face.

"Yo," said the Copy Ninja as he raised a hand up to wave at the two.

"Kakashi-sensei?!" Sakura couldn't believe it. "You're also going up against the Dusk Squad?"

"Well, yeah…Actually, since I was absolutely useless against them the first time we had met, I feel the need to show them how a real ANBU operates…Also, Tenten-san asked me so kindly, so how could I refuse?" The book was shut tight as Kakashi looked up at the floor above them. At its balcony stood two figures, one sitting in a wheel-chair, the other behind her as his black pony-tail stood rigid against the wind. "Two more of our members are up there…But I think it's going to be only one in the end…"

_Shikamaru and Ino, _contemplated Sakura. She couldn't quite make out the expression on their faces but then, maybe it was better that she wasn't able to see the exchange between them. "Any one else? I doubt Ino will be able to do anything in her current state."

"That's where I come in," uttered a deep voice from the shadows. Sakura caught sight of the hooded jacket and collared shirt that covered the figure's lower mouth. Sunlight streamed in past his dark glasses from the sides, yet his stolid expression remained unchanged. The face of Aburame Shino…one man who knew the extent of his capabilities better than anyone, and since his failure to help defend Konoha, he thought it only appropriate that he showcase the full power of the Aburame Clan to the enemies of his village. "Kurenai-sensei was eligible for my spot but due to her injuries, I have offered my services as mid-range fighter to the Weapons Mistress. I'm confident that I'll be able to neutralize the Dusk Squad's tactic of switching with each other to dispatch their targets." And with that, he took up a spot next to Kakashi, leaning coolly against the wall. The Copy Ninja gave him one nervous glance before retreating behind the covers of his Icha Icha book that he had reopened.

"Shino-san…Tenten, this is great!" Suddenly, Sakura got an idea. "Actually, Tenten, I think it would be best if we could wage war against them on the ship itself. Besides presenting an unfamiliar environment, we could use the docking area to our advantage."

"Really? How?"

"I'll explain the details later." She immediately went over the member list in her head. "Wait…You, me, Shikamaru, Kakashi-sensei, Shino-san…That's five against six. Who's our sixth member?"

"That would be my daughter," said Hiashi as he stepped out from the shadows from the exact same place Shino had been in. "Hanabi."

_Hanabi? But her eyes are… _"Tenten, do you really…"

"I asked Hiashi-sama for his participation, but after an incident last night, he feels that Hanabi would be more suited to the task. Don't ask me how, since as far as I know she's blind."

"My daughter," said Hiashi, as he placed his arms inside in his sleeves and looked up at the clear sky that led into the great beyond, "Is undergoing special training with my permission. No one but I, her instructor, and Hanabi know about this. You will not see her until she is completely ready."

"Well," said Kakashi, "Despite her condition, along with Hanabi-san, we are now six. Thus begins our training against the Dusk Squad's tactics. They'll attack this ship, that's for sure, though I'm unsure when and where. Things have been more or less quiet for the past two weeks, since our departure. And speaking of which…We'll be arriving at the Hidden Village of Sand soon," he said pointing to the crevices meeting at the distance, which signified the entrance to Sunagakure. Even though the Haven took only a day to reach the River Country, they had stayed there for nearly two weeks, extending their deadline for retrieving the wounded by seven more days. Unfortunately, no news of Kiba, Chouji, Sasuke and Hinata had been reported. Yamato and Danzo remained on the surface to continue their search for Sai and other Roots members who had been lost in the skirmish. This was done against Tsunade's will but there was no arguing with Danzo when it came to his special team.

The eight shinobi looked down at the village of Suna from above the clouds-- the citizens literally looked like ants. However, as the newly formed team of Tenten, Sakura, Shino and Kakashi were busy admiring the view, Shikamaru was on the balcony one floor up, having a chance meeting with Ino.

--X--

"Imagine seeing you here," were the first words that started their meeting. Shikamaru was up on the balcony because he wanted some time to think. Not about tactics or moves or plans, but about the world around him, along with its current situation. Upon seeing Ino, he smiled compassionately and allowed her to join him.

He scanned her body in a way unlike any he had attempted before. She was dressed in a long light purple skirt with a loose white T-shirt on. Making out of the bulge around her mid-riff, the young Nara could tell that she had her ribs heavily bandaged. Her arm was in a sling but it would soon be better according to the doctors. Ino originally had the entire top of her head bandaged but when it was discovered that most of the explosions had hit her neck and simply burned away her hair, it didn't take long to cure, that too without leaving any scars. Her blue eyes shimmered as brilliantly as always, and the boy-cut she had now made it much easier for her to get around in life. No more worrying about excessive conditioners and hours at the salon. But the wheel-chair was a testament to one undeniable fact—it would be a long while before she could walk again.

_They even said it'd be a while before she could even—_Shikamaru stopped that thought at once. Now was not the time to think of such petty matters. Here and now, he had to be one supremely important thing, and that was a friend; someone who could sit next to her and talk to her normally. Every one else could carry out the mortified stares for all he cared.

"Nice hair," he said to her with a grin. "Trying to go the other way with whoever you currently like?"

"Right back at ya', pineapple-head. But other than that, I think it looks real nice, regardless of what any of my numerous admirers may think," she said with a pout.

"How did you get up here?" he asked her normally.

"The elevators." Seeing that the conversation had veered past their initial playful berates, she faced him again and smiled. "Thank God they made this giant ship wheel-chair compliant. I swear, my legs are just getting too much special treatment," she giggled before stopping herself abruptly and tightening the gap between her thighs. A look of despair crossed her biting lips but she was determined not to let it out in the open. However he caught a glimpse of it; his eyes widened when he fully realized the pain she was undergoing. "Well, I just stopped by to say 'hi'! I'll see you later, Shikamaru. Tell me when you've found Chouji… I just feel so uneasy without that big teddy bear around." She had her hands on the rubber grips of the wheels, but found herself unable to move. Upon looking behind her, she saw the young Nara gripping the handle of her chair tightly. The blond swung around and peered at his face which he despairingly hung low.

"Gomen ne…"

She felt her heart go still as his tears stained the ground.

"G-Gomen ne, Ino…I should've been there…But instead, I just sat in my very own fortress, ordering you guys around like it was some kind of game…I wasn't strong enough to do anything in the end…I wanted to fight to protect people…Asuma-sensei, Kurenai-sensei, Chouji…But I can't protect any one…I'm just some kind of coward who can only talk big…I thought if I never let you get hurt, then I could do anything—"

The whole world shifted upside down for a moment amidst a searing pain in his right cheek. When he got his bearings, he saw her crying profusely. Her lips shook as she released the hard slap she had delivered to his face

"You were worried about me?!" she screamed at him above the rush of the wind. "You were worried about _me_?! I fought so much…and killed so many shinobi!" She thrust her hands in front of him, and began to clutch desperately to his shirt. "These hands are stained with so much blood! No matter how many times I wash them, the blood still stays! Yet, I was worried about all of you; for mom and dad, for Chouji, for the villagers and for…you…" The pain was too much for her as she placed one hand over her mouth and sobbed wretchedly, while she placed the other in her lap. "I was worried about you all; even when they did those…those _things_…to me…I can't even use the bathroom these days without bleeding… Without seeing my mother hiding her tears every time she has to help me throughout the whole ordeal…You know what that feels like?! And yet every time I bleed, I think about how many people were spared, simply because they violated me…Over and over…" Her clutching changed to clawing, as her nails dug past his netted shirt and into his skin. "I was so worried about all of you…What will I do now…How can I protect the ones I love now? How can I even look at the ones I love properly? They all think I'm some kind of…some kind of—"

He immediately fell to his knees and buried his head in her lap, all the while letting out all his pent up tears. She made to place her hand on his head, feeling that she failed to protect yet another person from pain, but as her fingers grazed his hair, he suddenly screamed out, "Baka!"

Taken aback by his cry, Ino stopped her cry. His hands found their way to the sides of her head, as he spoke. "Why do you have to feel this much pain, huh?! Why be the one to worry about everyone else?!"

Ino's anger returned. Biting her lip again, she grabbed a fistful of his hair and yelled. "Who else can—"

"I can!"

His tearful face met hers as he pressed his forehead against hers. Every bit of malice vanished from her mind as she met his determined eyes. Furrowing them deeply, the only thing visible in his pupils was the feeling of immense will.

"I'll protect them! I'll fight in your place! I'll fight for the both of us! I'll be the one to protect the ones you love…I'll be the one to look at you as I always have—as a friend and a partner…I'll be the one to be by your side, and fight against your pain and fears! Just please…Don't keep all this pain to yourself…Please don't think all these stupid things about yourself…Troublesome woman," he said, sniveling erratically. "I'll protect them all for you…So don't do this to yourself…Please…"

Nothing more could be said, as the two friends embraced and released their tears and sadness, their salty remains being left to the strong, wandering winds of the skies.

--X--

"Again, Hanabi!"

The young Chuunin coughed a little and took a deep breath before rushing at the man she knew only as 'Sensei' once more. He moved to the side of her outstretched palm, the cutting winds of the Jyuuken thrust combined with Fuiton elemental recomposition tearing through his clothing.

"No! Move to a higher level of recomposition!"

Doing as she was told, she side-kicked him, as the gales sliced through the box behind him. Evading the attack easily, she rolled to the side he moved almost automatically, and attempted to sweep him off his feet using a foreword roundhouse but he jumped up and evaded it. Nonetheless, the embers of the black sparks emitted scorched the remains of the box. Suddenly she grabbed his arm and pulled him towards her waiting palm.

The blow connected and he staggered back a bit from the strike. It had only grazed his shoulder, but he began to feel the effects, as his body reacted to the evil chakra she had sent forth from her coils. Hanabi didn't seize her attack and took it upon herself to finish the job. The handseals were complete and the requisite amount of chakra had been stored. All 361 of his tenketsu were now visible.

However, Tobi held up his left hand and placed it on the back of his head. _The signal, _she thought, as she lowered her hands. Deactivating the jutsu that was due to commence, she placed her forehead protector over her eyes, and fell to her knees, thoroughly exhausted.

"That was very good," he said, walking up to her. "It looks I won't be able to fight you at 50 of my full power any more." He kneeled down and moved her lips upwards, pouring a bit of cold water from a bottle into her mouth carefully. Hanabi thanked him and stood up again, ready to begin her gruel training once more.

The room the two were currently located in was a chamber created by Maxi specifically for Sasuke's training. It had the most powerful chakra armor built into its walls, which could absorb ay ninjutsu thrown at it, not too mention serving as the ultimate chakra control exercise. Two weeks had passed since the younger Hyuuga had taken up training under the former Akatsuki member. At first apprehensive, she later agreed to the arrangement when he heard of his true identity. Of course her father also did his part to convince her, annoyed as he was by one who had not only worked for the organization that killed his nephew but who had also knocked him out cold when he came to see his daughter. How he managed to stow aboard the ship was still a mystery to the two Hyuuga (and Shizune) but it seemed he was on their side.

Since then, he had been training Hanabi, first in seeing without using her eyes. She then moved onto the plethora of new jutsu that he had prepared for her, assimilating each with ease. It was clear to him now that Hinata was the hard-worker of the two siblings while Hanabi was the genius, though she lacked experience and thorough physical drilling. In the present circumstances, however, he had to make do with what they had. Weights were out of the question, as was going through any extensive elemental specific training. And he had to make sure she grasped the ultimate jutsu which even he had trouble mastering and controlling at present.

As Hanabi started to run up the walls, and then making circles around the room as she spiraled her way down, Tobi couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief. It seemed there would be some one who was even more capable of defeating the Leader, if not Itachi, then he. Right now, though, it seemed that he would have to follow Hiashi's words and get her to help out in fighting against the Dusk Squad before pitting her against the A-Grade fighters of Akatsuki. Aside from feeling sorry for the girl, he had no other reason to make her into what he was planning. Other then saving the one he loved.

_Looking back, though, it's a damn blessing that she only lost one of her eyes. That too, the right one._

--X--

"Making the final approach towards the outskirts of Sunagakure," said Maxi as he pulled a few levers. "Flaps have been lifted. Release the landing gear." The Snow Country personnel complied and released the different sections of the ship's landing gear, announcing their names one by one.

"The Kazekage should be waiting for us at the entrance to the village. I've already informed him of the situation via messenger falcon. He's prepared hospital beds and accommodations for the survivors," said Genma as he stood by Tsunade's side.

"Any word on the reinforcements we'll be receiving by way of Suna shinobi?" she said.

"The Kazekage has already explicitly stated his desire to leave and assist us, along with his two siblings, Temari-san and Kankurou-san. It seems no one on the council had any objections, especially after the outbreak of civil war in the shinobi world," said Jiraiya, sitting to the left of his fellow Sannin. "Still, I was kind of hoping we'd get more than three ninjas to assist us…"

"It can't be helped," said Tsunade, sighing with boredom. Being captain of an airship such as the Haven was exciting—when there were stuff for her to do. _Never thought I'd see the day where I'd miss signing papers in the office, _she thought. "Ever since their attack on the village of Suna, Akatsuki has been mobilizing everywhere. There are already reports that they've over-run the Fire Country and are demanding the stepping down of the Daimyo. In such a scenario, they would have to keep behind as many shinobi as possible to defend against any more onslaughts. Just the fact we're getting their three strongest shinobi is enough for now." The Slug Sannin arose from her chair and began to walk towards the entrance to the deck. "I'm going to be with the citizens of Konoha as we greet the Kazekage. Hopefully he won't be disappointed in me," she said with an uncomfortable smile. Jiraiya rose from his seat to accompany her, as four ANBU, who stood waiting in the hallways guarding the command room, followed behind them.

"About Naruto," said Jiraiya. "When will he wake up?"

"Knowing him, it'll probably be when we're all about to die," she said jokingly. However, no laugh accompanied her banter. "Honestly speaking, I have no idea. The final modifications you made to his seal have returned his chakra flow and healing back to normal, yet he's taking longer than expected to recover from his coma. At least his vitals are normal."

Jiraiya sighed in response and crossed his arms pensively. "You think we could have won if we had him fighting alongside us?"

Tsunade smiled as she reached the lower docking area where all the villagers had been told to report for travel to the village of Suna. "Is there any doubt?"

The lower hangar areas of the Haven were probably the least luxurious of the ship—dirty, dingy, and unused. Currently being used as a storage area, all the citizens and non-military personnel of Konoha waited. Mothers were tending to their crying babies and children, while a few of the elderly lay about playing card-games. The bare minimum of supplies was on them at the moment. Each villager managed to procure a new change of clothes and some food rations along with bed-sheets draped over their heads and shoulders and small weapons such as knives and kunai in case they had to defend themselves. Other than that, the rest would be up to Gaara and his village. Tsunade appeared in the docking area just in time to find the clan leaders, excluding Hiashi, waiting for her.

With a few last thumps into the deep sand, the Haven landed on the outskirts of Sunagakure. Maxi commanded the hangar doors to be opened as well the supply ramp to be deployed to supply better movement for the villagers along with their wounded. Standing at the head of the crowd, which was flanked on all sides by ANBU and the clan heads, Tsunade and Jiraiya began their march to the Hidden Village of Sand. The winds had only got stronger in the past few weeks as the month of April was drawing to a close. Luckily, being this early in the morning, the dry heat and burning sun weren't in full force.

Ten minutes later, the villagers of Konoha met with the officials of the Suna council. Many of the Suna shinobi and citizenry had been waiting in anticipation to help their Konoha brethren. The injured were ferried off immediately to the hospital as men and women were assigned in queues to their nearest housing facilities. Hana, Choza, Shikaku and Shibi were already conversing with some of the Sand Jounin about the features and requirements of each of their non-fighting clan members, along with discussing their number injured. When everything was finally done, Tsunade began to leave, followed closely by her Jiraiya, Temari, Kankurou and her ANBU unit. Gaara walked side by side with his fellow Kage, arms crossed, as he took one last look at the village of Suna before he boarded the Haven. Gaara was led to the bridge along with Tsunade while Temari and Kankurou were shown where they would be staying for the duration of their journey.

"Where do you intend to head next?"

Tsunade looked to her left at the proverbial enigma that was Gaara of the Desert. Once feared all over the land for being the container for the trippy One-Tail, Shukaku, he sat calmly in his assigned seat. The wonder that was the Haven didn't interest him. His attitude was business as usual. But after a visit to the medical ward to see his long time friend Naruto, she witnessed the transformation that many in the Sand talked about yet she saw little of. The dead, piercing eyes shifted a little upwards; his outlook began to mold into the same as when he met a lost little girl trying to find her way to her mother, or when he spoke to his brother and sister, or when he addressed his people. Slowly, he reached out and touched the glass that separated him from the room of his ally. What flowed through couldn't be seen, and yet, Tsunade could feel it. It was, after all the same felling she got whenever she was with Naruto. That aura of kindness, which radiated forth, showed that he had rightfully earned his title as the Sand's leader.

However, ever since the extraction of the Shukaku from his body, Gaara's powers had weakened greatly. His Shield of Sand was, thankfully, still able to activate, only now he had to put conscious effort into doing so. Other than that, most of his damaging sand attacks remained, with the exception that he couldn't perform them continuously unexhausted any more. The loss of his inner demon was both a negative and a positive-- the red haired shinobi simply looked upon it is a result, one that should not be judged according to how good or bad it may be in one's perception.

"We've already acquired all the relief materials, and with the addition of Temari-san, Kankurou-san and you, Gaara-dono, to our ranks, we will be moving on to the Hidden Village of Stone." Tsunade shifted her view forward and crossed her legs. "Heading to the Earth Country didn't sit well with our council elders, as they feel that age-old enmities may prove to work against us after our battle is over. But this is the time to be thinking of the present, not mulling over what the future may hold. It's highly unlikely that they've already fallen to Akatsuki's forces, but then, we're all aware of what they're capable of."

"Their purpose though," said Gaara calmly, "To bring the world under their order using the Tailed Beasts... What can possibly be gained from plunging the world into such chaos?"

"Indeed. Maxi," she said the brown-haired youth sitting just before her. "Set our path for the Earth Country…I'd hate to say this but it looks like I'll have to pay a visit to their Kage."

"Aye aye. Adjust ship direction by 45 degrees from port side! Pull landing gear and activate lower thrusters! Lower flaps for increased lift! Our destination is the edge of the Earth Country. Further evaluations will be given upon reaching the borders!" With that the crew of the bridge began their tasks to bring the Haven back into the sky. The citizens of Konoha and Suna watched with amazement at the incredible zephyrs that pushed a large amount of sand upwards. The Haven began to slowly lift into the air, its landing gear modules folding up, one by one, as the thrusters gave maximum output to the systems.

_The counter-attack on Akatsuki will begin after we can amass a larger force,_ thought Tsunade musingly. _It will be necessary to send several assassination units to root out the ninjas that have invaded the different countries, but until then…_Her eyes fell on the map being displayed on one of the computer screens above the windows looking out towards the docking area. _The area to the far east of the Wave Country…There has to be a clue there…_

The ship rocked violently as Tsunade stumbled a little in her footing. With a little help from Gaara, she got to her stance again and turned to Maxi. "Kagura! What's happening?"

"Just a little downdraft from the skies," he said calmly checking the instruments and struggling with the console controls at once. "It should be alright in just a few seconds." Soon enough, the shaking stopped as Tsunade took her seat. Gaara remained standing as he looked out towards the window with a blank expression. "See? Nothing to worry—"

An explosion suddenly broke out as the left side of the ship erupted in a hail of smoke and fragments. Tenten and Sakura were inside the weapons room along with Kakashi, Shikamaru and Shino when they felt the resonating blast. Gathering their supplies quickly, they began to make their way to the bridge a few floors up. The lights inside the air fortress shut down but quickly returned, engulfing the corridors in wash of red and blaring alarms as it entered into an emergency state. Hiashi was with Hanabi and Tobi when they heard and felt the explosion from within the reinforced training room. The black haired ninjas could only look at each other before quickly filing out and making their way outside to the docking area. Ino and Lee were surprised by the sudden power outage but when they alarms sounded, the realization that they were under attack became that much more real and worrisome. Making her way to her bed and reaching underneath the mattress, Ino pulled out a couple of crossbows that she stashed just in case of an emergency. The clan leaders were all present in the medical ward and it wasn't long before they were wondering what the source of the disturbance was.

"The left wing has taken heavy damage!" yelled a Snow crewmember to Maxi.

"It's been penetrated…whatever that attack was, it just made a clean hole through the left wing!" said Maxi angrily. Trying his utter best to maintain balance over the ship, he felt the ship's response fading as it plummeted further and further down into the sand hard sand below. Tsunade ran to the windows in time to spot a range of boulders and stone monuments on a collision course with the Haven.

"We're gonna crash!"

"Brace for impact!" an engineer shouted out over the intercom to all the passengers.

Everything went blank as Tsunade held onto her seat as tight as possible. Only a few minutes until the impact to end them all. Her eyes betrayed her desire to not look when she saw Gaara's seat empty. The deceit ran even further when she looked for and found him in front of the windows with his hands clapped together. The chakra around him began to spike as he ran through a long list of seals.

"Desert Imperial Shield," he said calmly, oblivious to the Godaime's screams for him to get away from the glass. "Titan's Wave of Return."

What happened next could only be described as a wonder of Nature. An enormous mountain of sand rose up from the desert ad appeared before the Haven; upon colliding with the giant structure, it began to encase and slowly drag it downwards along with the inertia from its vertical fall to coast it as gently as possible into the soft sand. The touchdown of the ship and the return of the sand to its origins resulted in a massive amount of the dust being thrown upwards. Ever enduring in his effort, Gaara continued to cushion the ship, using every last bit of his chakra as possible. He fell to his knees but maintained his handseal with stubborn determination, the chakra around him spiking and flickering irregularly. Sweating profusely, his breathing became faster as he maintained his jutsu in the face of the constant rumbling of the ship.

Miraculously, the ship landed without any major damage sustained to its hull. Temari and Kankurou entered just in time to see their little brother sprawled on the floor in an unconscious heap. Jiraiya entered into the bridge to see if Tsunade was alright while Maxi noticed some strange targets appearing on the top of his radar, indicating their position to be to the north of the Haven just past the stone ridge.

--X--

A short distance away, a group of Konoha ninjas were busy treading through the calm river water and constant stone gorges of their surroundings. Chouji amiably sat atop a boulder, munching on a pork bun as Sai examined their map. Currently, they were within the borders of the River Country. Starting their trek from the Fujin district in the early morning meant nothing when his allies were still in the process of healing. Kiba lay on the dirt just below the stone structure they had halted at, and panted.

"Whoo, this is some tough traveling…Didn't think we'd be hurt so bad that it would take this long to move from the south towards Suna. Ne, Akamaru?" The large dog gave a low yelp before bowing its head back down and returning to its nap. "Oye, Sai… How much longer we got before we reach Sunagakure?"

"Hmm…estimating our current conditions and the distance, I'd say another one to three hours," he said plainly. "Frankly, I'm not even sure if it's such a good idea to still be in the Fire Country with all those Akatsuki mercenaries moving about."

"Luckily we got you with us," said Chouji giving a nod of respect and a thumbs up for Sai's efforts.

"Arigatou. I think we should regain our bearings and get a move on, don't you agree, Kiba-san?" He looked at the dog Nin, who was clutching his noggin. "Kiba-san? Are you alright?"

"I…don't know…My head just started aching…Man, its really digging deep…Whatever it is…Like a drill…" Akamaru moved next to Kiba and licked his free hand, but suddenly Kiba tensed up, his nose sniffing the air. Without any word, he craned his neck west and ran on all fours, moving agilely through an adjoining forest. Chouji was confused, but Sai simply folded his map and hoisted his katana on his back when he saw what the problem was.

_Even after all this time, the jutsu's effects persist. This is going to be a long journey, _the young man told himself. "Chouji-san, we must follow him. He is still not fully himself. If he tries to pick a fight with the enemy, there could be trouble." The stout man agreed before running behind Sai, followed by Akamaru, after his companion. The distance between them and the maniacal Kiba was quickly closing, as they caught sight of him halting on a branch and sniffing the air wildly before taking off once more. A few seconds later, a scream emanated throughout the woods, which only urged Sai to rush ahead of Chouji. When he reached the clearing from which the noise appeared, he relaxed.

The yell had been that of Kiba's, as he lay tangled up in a mess of sturdy wooden beams that had emerged from the ground. All around him, hanging from the trees, lying on the grass and strung up on the gorges ahead as a warning sign to those who approached, were dozens of dead Akatsuki shinobi. Kunai. Spears. Arrows. Zanbatos. The mess of weapons, both broken and still solid, was at first spread out evenly around Kiba but their pattern seemed to diverge the further the trail of bodies ran. A presence in the shade above landed in front of Sai, and calmly shuffled up to him. Meeting his side, he announced with drone-like voice.

"Sai."

The young man smiled. "Danzo-sama."

The artistic fighter looked at the only tree that didn't have a body tacked on to it and called out respectfully. "Yamato-sama."

From within the bark emerged the familiar features of the stone-faced Jounin. He brushed his close-cropped hair before releasing his hold on the now sober Kiba. As soon as he came to his senses, Kiba turned to the raven-haired boy and apologized several times. Sai for his part understood what was going through the young man's mind—when one was under severe mental stress, it always manifested itself in the form of an explosion. The question, though, was what caused Kiba to get so worked up. After getting a hand from Chouji and calming a whining Akamaru (who offered a ride to his master just like in those days when he first became a Chuunin), the group began their move towards Sunagakure. The forests didn't last very long as the dunes of the Wind Country appeared several meters away. Along the way, Sai was answering several queries from both Yamato and Danzo, including the current status of the Fire Country's administration. Akatsuki was moving in the shadows of daily life, merging with the unsuspecting citizenry. The few who were afraid, the few who stood up to question them, the few who rose to challenge them—all had slowly begun too disappear, either driven to the edges of society as outcasts or silenced permanently.

Would it be long before their culture and way of life started to replace that of the current societies? How much time was really left until the ninja world would fall before them?

An enormous impact was heard, its shockwaves reverberating through the deserts. An explosion of sand could be seen not too far away.

"This is bad," though Yamato as he moved further ahead of the group.

Danzo and Sai followed his lead, while Chouji, Kiba and Akamaru began to inspect their surroundings for any ambushes. All of them were oblivious to the army just over the enormous hill of dust.

--X--

Amidst the calmed breeze and hot sun, Sasuke and Hinata stayed close to each other. Her Byakugan was constantly alert, scanning the lands for any enemies and sneak attacks. Avoiding as many Akatsuki Nins as possible was as good idea as any at the moment; even though they left as planned, Hinata was still not a hundred percent recovered. Granted, she was getting there, but for now, fighting was the last thing on their minds, as they made their way to the Land of Wind. Leaping from tree to tree, the couple often took breaks to replenish their stamina, along with tending to Hinata's health. No baths or setting camp for the first 50 kilometers however; if they didn't hurry, the area could become a hotspot for war before they knew it.

To relieve their tension, Hinata would comment on the types of birds being seen in the forest. Sasuke listened intently about their defining features and related the legends he heard about them from his childhood and when he was traveling with the now-deceased Snake Sannin. She also discussed the book she had been reading before they left the town of Mirai. It was a book of war, yet it discussed the humanity behind those fighting as well the reasons they laid down their lives. The places and names were unfamiliar to her, yet she could relate to the desire of these men and women who believed in their ideals and protected their homes at all costs. 'Just like you,' was Sasuke's reply before he signaled for another break.

As the morning slowly turned to the noon, the sun shone brightly over their heads. Hinata, still in her disguise, brushed her sweaty amber hair back with irritation and finally settled on tying it. Even though she was dressed in a pair of blue denim shorts and a loose black t-shirt with a white vest underneath, she had to ditch her headband back in Mirai. She looked upon Sasuke, who preferred a loose robe and slacks for traveling. His chest lay exposed, as was normal when they were training for those two years, but now, it made her feel more fluttery. Sasuke didn't miss those hints as he often times used to cover his chest while smirking at her general direction, causing Hinata to giggle. Of course, in front of others she would have died a rosy-faced death; the thought of her father seeing her flirting with an Uchiha was too embarrassing to imagine. And then there was the thought of Neji, who could see her the whole time from above.

_Wait…Did he really see what we did last night? B-But it wasn't anything bad! At least I think it wasn't…Nii-san, please don't think badly of me!_

"Is something the matter, Hinata?" Sasuke asked her, noticing that she had started fidgeting and sweating profusely.

"N-No. E-Everything is fine…Its just that…T-That night…We spent…A-A-As one…It was…Etou…How should I say this…I…I…" Hinata looked towards Sasuke, her face blushing as she smiled with those calm eyes of hers. "I…I think that…It was really…" she stopped her broken speech as soon as she saw Sasuke stop. She barely went a few feet ahead of him before slowing down and returning to the branch he was standing on. His eyes were still yet tensed; following their gaze, Hinata caught sight of an enormous amount of sand being thrown up from behind a dune some distance away from them. Beyond there lay the way to Sunagakure.

"Hinata, could you look about 2 kilometers in that direction?"

Hinata nodded as she returned to her serious demeanor. Looking past the now transparent sand mount, she tried her best to take in all the details that were now assaulting her senses. "The Haven…It has crashed not too far away from the Hidden Village of Sand. The left wing was damaged, causing it to lose its balance and careen downwards but it was blanketed by a large amount of sand. However, what is taking place near the Haven…Almost several hundreds of Akatsuki ninjas seem to be advancing towards the ship…Also, the main members of Akatsuki seem to present, judging by their distinguishing black and red robes…I can see three of them— one appears to be a blue beast, while another looks like some kind of girl with a radar on her left eye. Finally, I can see…U-Uchiha Itachi." Hinata looked to Sasuke before he calmly bade her to continue. "Destination of the airship is measured to be north, slightly north-west. I can also see…An unfamiliar person. He's short and stands at the head of the army; appears to be the only one hiding his face with a straw hat."

Sasuke flinched upon hearing that. _'Until Akatsuki members are identified by the people, they do not permanently dispose of the belled straw hats,' was what Orochimaru said once. Itachi, Kisame and Deidara have already showed their true identified…Then that could only mean…_

"Hinata, can you identify his charka signature?"

"It's…difficult…Not from this distance, no…But if I could get closer, I may able to see his capacity as well…"

"There won't be any need for that," said Sasuke, as he opened his robe to expose his bare upper body. The cursed seal to the left of his neck began to spread rapidly, covering his entire body. "It seems Akatsuki's leader has finally decided to reveal himself."

Hinata froze instantly. "A-Are you sure? I…"

"Hinata…We possess some of the strongest jutsu and bloodlines in the entire ninja world…It will be up to us to take on the leader. This will be our most difficult opponent yet; wounding him isn't an option. We have to focus on killing him as quickly as possible. If you wish to back down, I'll more than understand." _I'd actually prefer if it was that way…I have a bad feeling about this…_

Her posture became rigid as she summoned the Tsumugari from the tattoo on her right arm. The pricked index finger dripped a little as she grasped his hand and spoke strongly. "Sasuke-kun…Do you remember last night?"

Sasuke stood resilient, only a faint nod showing his understanding.

_Under the full moon, in the shadows of a world that we loved…Surrounded by a peace that we drank in with every sense…In the sanctuary that was the body of the one we loved…Yes…That night, _thought Hinata seriously.

_It meant a lot more to me than any one would ever be able to understand._

"If it is our fate to live," she said, not leaving the soft hold she had on his fingers, "Then we shall live. If it's our fate to die, then we will die in the way that has been assigned to us. But no matter what happens, we'll do it together. Agreed?"

"Hinata…I—"

"Together?" she repeated, holding her other hand in front of her.

The raven-haired youth closed his eyes and held her close to his body. Her hand was moved up to his heart, as if telling her that if anything happened to him, she should remember the sound of his heart. All the destruction in the world was now before him, lying at his feet. It was creeping up and challenging him to a battle to end all and it would be his duty to see it through all the way. This role he now held-- the determination, will, honor and compassion that he lacked as an avenger. It would be upheld, with every ounce of blood and every breath of his being-- his role as a protector.

"Together, Hinata," he concluded before looking out at the destination of their final battle.

**

* * *

****Author's Notes:**Wow, what a difference. I managed to get half the number of hits of 'Invasion' for 'Shiner' in about one-fourth of the time it was put up. Not to mention the number of reviews received in that short while-- this easily trumps Chapter 9. Thanks to everyone for their support and I hope you liked this chapter just as much. One thing I'd like to point out about the next chapter: It will be the longest 'My Eyes' chapter to date. We're talking 20,000+ words here people, and for good reason too. This chapter has an enormous amount of fighting in it, and I can safely say that even if the plot-twists and developments anger and/or confuse readers, you will love the action. 

**Battle Royale! Titan's Wrestle of Strength! Power of the Uchiha! Dusk versus Anti-Dusk! Clan Leaders versus Nature's Monster! The Unbeatable Shinta?! Next! Chapter 12: Onslaught! **


	13. Chapter 12: Onslaught

**My Eyes**

By Shiranui the Brave

**Author's Notes: **Here it is. The action fest to end all action fests. At least before I decide how the end-game will be (I seem to be using the word 'Endgame' a lot…Maybe that'll be the name of the last chapter? Hmm…).

Since this chapter nearly clocks in at about 35,000 words or so, this pretty much makes it the longest _My Eyes _chapter to date. However, as with all stories, it's not just the number of words you put in, but how entertaining you make your story. With that in mind, I hope you enjoy reading the newest chapter and offer me your valuable opinions and reviews so I can keep improving.

Finally, I'd just like to dedicate this and the next two chapters to two very special people: Firstly, **EshtarWind.** Being the first writer I ever beta-tested for, she has always been a great source of support for me, and her writings with their simple emotional tones always draw me in (she also has lots more perseverance and stamina than me…). If not for her and her fics, I probably would've never become interested in fan-fiction writing in the first place.

Secondly, and you probably knew this was coming, **Arethusa Fellini.** For being not only a great friend, but one of the only people I could talk about Naruto with without either driving her crazy or being worried that she had no idea what I was yammering about. Aside from that though, her craft is simply amazing; I'll go out of my way to say she's one of the few best Naruto fan-fiction writers across this site. Oh, and her reviews…well, what can I say? To get a perfect review from her is like fighting to climb a mountain, but once you get there, it's worth it (I'm still climbing though, lol).

For always trusting me and allowing me to be of service to you two and not to mention providing me endless inspiration and willpower to improve, thank you. Now, without any further ado…

**

* * *

****Chapter 12: Onslaught**

"_To the great winged figure of feathers black and a soul incased in chaos, there is no greater power than the one he feels within. There is no recognizable force other than the one resonating throughout his shell. Yes, truly…The Tengu…The most unstoppable demon ever to grace this reality... It can truly be said, that at times, when a Tengu comes to our world; in that rare event when a demonic bird such as it bestows its presence upon this earth, it comes to a great sense of awe. It feels no recognition of its surroundings, no happiness in the beauty that we feel so proud of._

"_If anything, it views this world as nothing more than a hallucination it could be having._

"_What genius the Tengu are in that case…To make a world such as this when they are in a state of insanity?"_

* * *

The alarm next to his bed rang ceaselessly. A young boy groaned irritably before slamming his palm on the snooze button. However, in place of that annoying meowing sound that emanated like a forsaken melody from the clock, a voice came to his ears.

"Wake up, otouto. You don't wanna be late on your first day," said the boy above him who resumed his dressing. He dug out his weasel ANBU mask from his drawer before hovering over his little brother again. "I mean it Sasuke. You know it would create a bad image for the clan if you were late."

"Nii-san," the raven haired boy responded groggily, before having the sheets around him removed. "Just let me sleep for an hour more…Then you and I can do our own personal training…"

Itachi sighed as he sat next to his 8 year-old brother. "Sasuke, we've been over this already. You'll get your time when it comes. But right now, if you want to become an official ninja, and for that matter, a member of the Police Force like me and Oto-sama, you _have to go to school_."

"Hai, hai…" the young boy muttered.

Sasuke groaned again before getting out of bed. He slipped on a pair of black shorts and a high collared shirt which covered his entire neck, having the Uchiha Clan symbol on its back. _Oh well, at least I'll get to meet some new people today. Just hope the Hyuuga Clan didn't decide to keep Hinata at home for personal training. I'm gonna look so stupid if she gets stronger than me…You better teach me some good stuff, Nii-san._

After greeting his mother at breakfast (his father having left for his usual meeting with fellow Uchiha Police Force regarding the state of law and order in Konoha; something about some kid painting the Hokage Monument with graffiti was overheard), Sasuke and Itachi got ready to leave.

"Have a good day, boys," she said as she hugged Itachi. The teen smiled kindly in response before disappearing in a cyclone of leaves. "Especially you, Sasuke." She kissed her younger son on both cheeks and hugged him tightly. "Have fun at your ninja practice!"

"Oka-chan! Its training, not practice!" he whined.

This only earned him a playful giggle from Uchiha Mikoto. "As you say, Sasuke. Try not to over-exert yourself, okay?" she said with a gentle smile before he set off running.

_That Body Flicker must come in handy for times like this, _he thought with honesty. As much as he dreaded it, he still didn't want to make a bad impression on his new teachers.

And then there was 'him'. The Uchiha smiled from the anticipation; he had wanted to become friends with him since he had first heard about his lineage. Then he could have a great sparring partner during school time, not to mention for those times when his beloved elder brother was busy with his ANBU and policing work. Sasuke increased his speed and ran fervently until he could hear the bell for the first class ringing in his ears.

**--X--**

"Okay that's it for today, class! You're all dismissed," said Umino Iruka, the homeroom teacher, with a smile. The children wished their sensei a good day before calmly filing out of the classroom.

"Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke stopped and turned around but was immediately sorry that he did so. A mob of girls descended upon him. _And just when I almost caught sight of that kid, _he thought miserably. But being the boy his parents raised him to be, he couldn't simply ditch the gathering. So there he stood, stuttering again and again as they asked him questions.

"Is it true you know all kinds of jutsu that even sensei doesn't know?!"

"How are you so good at shuriken throwing? Will you teach me, pretty please?"

"Will you help me with my ninja studies, Sasuke-kun? I don't know how to answer some of these…"

"What kind of person is your brother? Is he as strong and kind as every one says he is?"

They weren't flirting with him nor did they want to his approval. They were either genuinely asking for his help, curious or extremely willing to train with him. He wanted to oblige them all, but how could he possibly do so? He had his own studies to worry about. The session had only just started, after all.

_Maybe I should get Nii-san to come with me to school…He scares people away pretty easily, _he began thinking desperately.

"Oye, what the heck do you think you're doing?!"

The entire gathering, Sasuke included, turned to the source of the noise and immediately felt nervous upon seeing who it was.

"Don't you girls feel bad for heckling a new guy like that?!" screamed the angry figure of Haruno Sakura, as she waved her fist madly. Fearing her temper the group made to disperse.

"Are you alright, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke looked to his right and immediately his face lit up with joy. "Hinata! So you're dad let you come after all?"

"Yes," she said calmly. "He said that in order to understand the advanced techniques of a shinobi, you had to know your basics inside and out. It's very interesting actually. Did you know there's a jutsu for untying ropes?"

"What? Who'd wanna waste chakra on a useless jutsu like that?"

"Well, I'm sure some of us get tied up at least once in their lives…"

Sakura coughed a little, which caused Hinata to apologize profusely. She brought her closer to Sasuke and introduced them.

"Uchiha Sasuke. Pleased to meet you," he said with a smile.

"Haruno Sakura! Nice to meet you too! Hey if you ever need help handling those girls next time, let me know. That's what friends are for, right?" From behind the pink-headed girl she heard Ino's call. "Whoops, have to go. Sasuke-san, Hinata-chan, I'll meet with you two later. It was nice meeting you Sasuke-san!" Sakura moved towards Ino, her red dress fluttering.

"Oh! Is that Sasuke-kun?! Do you think he'll train with me?!"

Sakura sighed and led her friend away for a good girl-to-girl talk.

Hinata giggled to herself. "Looks like you made a lot of friends today. Though a lot of them were with us in our pre-school days."

"Tell me about it…Sometimes I wonder what the big deal about me is. Anyway, shall we go?"

Hinata agreed heartily and took his hand as they walked towards the docks.

**--X--**

"…And he was right there in front of me, but I missed him! Maybe I could talk to him tomorrow. Still, what an interesting guy."

"What did you say his name was? Naruto?"

"Not just 'Naruto'! He's Hokage-sama's son! The son of the Yellow Flash, Hinata! Imagine what cool moves he must know! I'm sure he must know the Body Flicker and lots of other awesome jutsu! He may even know the Thundergod jutsu…Man, what a lucky guy! But then having Hokage-sama for a father is no small thing…"

"Hokage-sama's son?" Hinata placed a finger on her chin as she looked up at the clouds and thought pensively. "Oh! I heard he was the one who painted the monument with all sorts of graffiti…"

"Nani?!" Sasuke stood up from his point in utter disbelief. "HE did that?! Now I gotta make him my training partner! Did you know he managed to evade 4 ANBU, 7 Jounin, and 5 Chuunin when he did that?! That's simply incredible! Right, Hinata?" The young Hyuuga girl averted her face away from her friend, pouting to herself with disdain.

"Baka," she uttered.

"Eh?!"

"All you've been talking about is 'Naruto this' and 'Naruto that'…If he becomes your training partner, then who will I train with in school and when my father is busy with Neji-Nii-san?"

"Ah," he said with a nervous laugh, "I didn't forget about you, Hinata-chan. Why don't the three of us train together? Then you'll become the head of your clan in no time, and I'll be in the ANBU and the police alongside my brother and father! Wouldn't that be great?"

Sasuke looked out at the pond before him. It was an unusual spot for him, sitting at the harbor was. Since he was little, he always enjoyed going close to the water, but lately other things had begun to form in his mind. Still, that didn't stop him from inviting Hinata to hang with him whenever she got the chance. Not like his parents minded anyway—seeing a Hyuuga in the Uchiha district wasn't something that upset them as much as it did their ancestors (though it did annoy Sasuke sometimes when his brother teased him about bringing a 'cute bride' home; Hinata, not knowing better, actually took that in good spirit). The sun was already on the horizon and looked set to meld into night within just a few moments. His thoughts on the twilight, the co-existence of light and dark before him, caused him to remember a few curious, happy and painful memories.

"Hinata…"

"Hmm," she said, after she removed her sandals and began to lightly splash the water with her feet.

"Do you still think of those times we spent together?"

Hinata looked at his contemplative expression and then back at her reflection in the water. "Yeah. I do. It feels like only yesterday that it all happened…"

"Those times…" said Sasuke slowly.

_When we fought both with and against the awful force of our dreams._

* * *

"Look at this place," said Kisame, hefting his giant Samehada onto his back as he strutted through the corridors of the Haven with Deidara. "Never thought they could make air-ships this big. Would've been great to get one of these for myself."

Deidara liked to remain quiet just this once. It was for a simple reason actually: all those weeks of being with the annoyingly inquisitive Tobi had finally gotten to him, and he had actually gone cuckoo. Those days when he always used to beat, strangle or blow up the masked brat because he always used to brag to him... somewhere deep inside, a small part of him actually missed those days.

_His utter disregard for his own well-being was quite admirable, but his desire to run away from any and all dangerous situations was nothing short of pathetic,_ he thought, more matter-of-factly than with any real opinion.

To use everything in your arsenal to defeat your opposition; to dominate in the light of amazing finesse; to surpass those fools who called themselves 'geniuses' when all they relied on was their mere genes; in short to showcase one's utter artistic mastery—that was what the exploding clay-fighter lived for. Tobi not only fell beneath his expectations in that regard but Deidara also slowly realized the reason for his oft-repeated cowardice (not for nothing though; even if some Jinchuuriki brat managed to pummel him once didn't discount the fact that he was a member of Akatsuki): The raven-haired, black and white masked S-Class missing Nin was hiding his true abilities.

_A fool who can't understand art is one thing but an artist who does not show his talent to this world…Who doesn't realize the responsibility of the gifts he's been bestowed…Doesn't deserve to live! _

These angry thoughts rang through his mind and escaped his mouth on more than one occasion. Yet, the blonde still found himself missing his 'junior'. Either it was that, or he was just wishing that he didn't have to settle on being stuck with Kisame to get his work done. The psychopath Shiori with her obsession with Feng-shui would have been better, but she just had to get herself killed and take Tobi along with her. Now he was stuck with the shark-man, and he couldn't even complain about it, unless he wanted to end up like Hidan's head and be tortured for hours on end before being thrown into a pot of molten hot magma for losing against some one who took better care of both his brain and the matter surrounding than he ever did.

But the torture that the foul-mouthed visage, formerly one half of the 'Zombie Brothers', endured would have been far greater than this grunt work. Maybe he was wrong in his analysis of those who were true artistes and those who were not (to which he mentally cringed; if getting to be partners with some one was he didn't like was going to throw him off this much, then he hated to imagine what would happen to his psyche if Kisame had been eliminated). But one thing Deidara would have to admit was that Tobi certainly had his secrets, some that he was willing to find out had he received the chance.

"Tch, another one of these things," growled Kisame, as he looked upon a door with a giant '**7**' etched on it in red. It served as an indication of two things: One, that they were on the seventh and fourth top-most floor of the FAF Haven where the infirmary was located, and two, that the door, with its obvious gleaming and almost glasslike outer coating was both equipped with some heavy duty chakra-resistant material and reinforced several times over with steel. "The brat who made this ship…He was called 'the Man Who Could Build Anything', right? Do you think he would have noticed such an obvious flaw," he said with an evil smirk as he hefted Samehada off of his back, "In his designs?"

The blue Monster of the Mist brought his heavy shark-scale branded sword down on the door with what would have looked like super-human force, if one didn't notice that he was only using the tip to break through. Chakra armor both restricted in mass production, yet sanctioned by the Snow Country's princess for high-risk operations (how Maxi got the supply needed for the Haven involved an uncomfortable story of 12 shinobi, a sandwich and a shrapnel bomb) that could resist the awesome force of the famed Rasengan—yet so easily was it torn apart by this hulking madman's unquestionable brutality.

"Care to explain to me again how that works, yeah?" said Deidara with curiosity, and a hint of anger when he realized that his normal C1 bombs wouldn't have even made a dent in the material.

Kisame looked at a simple shining piece that formed a small piece of the door, and lifted it up and down in his clawed hands. "Chakra armor from the Snow Country is said to be powered by a portable generator that operates on a number of frequencies. They use this in order to repel common jutsu and chakra powered weapons. Only by destroying those little gizmos could you actually stand a chance against their shinobi. However, they're like magnets…Like absorbs unlike, and also," he said as he heaved the chunk at the walls, which engraved a large dent in their structure, "Like repels like. So if we take a big source of chakra absorbent and bang it against another big source of chakra absorbent—"

"The chakra repelling is no longer has any effect, yeah," finished Deidara with a hand on his chin, as he took in all the information he was hearing. "And the door is nothing more than just another door—"

"That a monster like me would have no trouble ripping apart," he said with an evil laugh, as he signaled Deidara to continue moving.

"Interesting. You're quite informed for a pre-cooked dish of sea-food, yeah," the blonde said with a sneer of utter amusement. Kisame pretended to ignore that remark, and by that he meant to tear the little man and his little clay models apart when this mission was over and done with. _Never thought I'd see the day when I'd prefer Itachi's company over that of other Akatsuki members, _he said to himself. "We've already made it past the Hokage's quarters located a few floors up, yeah…Seems we have just a couple of more doors to go until we reach all the sick people, yeah…Wonder if Uchiha Sasuke is onboard. I still have to pay him back for stealing my opportunity to kill Orochimaru, yeah…"

"Who cares…What's really important is that I finally get to shave some poor shmuck's skin off," said the shark as he broke his 20th solid steel door so far without breaking a sweat. "No more 'capture-alive' missions! No more controlled fighting! Just plain massacre! Heh, I love it! Nothing but chaos!"

"Yeah," said the artist of explosions as the carnivorous mouths on his hands licked their lips with glee. "Indeed, yeah."

The last barrier to the infirmary had finally been broken. Kisame looked to his left and right at the numerous entrances present. Inside each room, he could make out a large number of empty beds along with sheets and pillows that had been thrown apart. He snickered to himself as he lifted his sword and heaved it on top of his shoulder. "Hide-and-seek, huh?" he said to no one in particular. He both loved and hated to enter that state of mind—the one where his predatory instincts took over. Whether friend or foe, he sometimes had an unhappy habit of tearing apart the closest living thing next to him. On seeing those intense arched eye-brows, Deidara stood next to one of the doorways and let his demonic 'ally' continue his walk down the hallway. As far as he could remember, becoming a victim of one of Kisame's little berserker phases wasn't included in any of the Leader's orders. And the hell with taking the initiative in this case.

"Okay? Stay here and don't move, no matter what," said Ino with a whisper as she cocked the strings on her crossbows. The doctors, nurses and remaining patients had retreated to the room at the very rear of the ship that signified the limits of the infirmary. Alas, it was a dead-end, so other than trying to unsuccessfully create an exit, she would have to defeat or at least delay her enemies until back-up arrived.

"Yamanaka-san," said one of the doctors as he readjusted his spectacles, "Your condition…"

The blonde looked at her delicate frame still situated in the wheel-chair. She wasn't the best choice for this, but since Lee and the other heavy fighters were still out of commission, she would have to do. With a confident grin, she winked at her doctor. "Don't worry. I'll call you if I'm unable to bear whatever they can dish out at me. I am a Konoha shinobi though, so it could be a while. Stay put until then, okay sensei?"

She didn't give the old man time to reply as she wheeled out of the room and sealed it from the outside with the help of a keycard. Calling for the doctor's help when she was in pain wasn't exactly something that she wasn't willing to incorporate in her little impromptu plan; she simply couldn't involve normal individuals in this fight. Especially since the enemy was Akatsuki. She slowly wheeled down the hallway and stopped at the corner, making sure that she heard the approaching footsteps carefully. The faint sound of a blunt object being dragged around on the floor repeatedly could be heard. She readied the explosive-tipped arrows equipped on her crossbows. At the blink of an eye, Ino sped out of the corner and with precise marksmanship, aimed the first arrow at the space between Kisame's eyes. The arrow flew loose; the young Chuunin prayed that it would hit.

_What kind of idiot does this woman think I am? _Kisame grinned as he tilted his head slightly to the left and let the arrow whistle past his head. "Hey brat, next time you want to try surprising the strongest of the former Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, try remembering that no one knows how to counter silent killing better than us!" Ino's eyes widened in shock, but not at Kisame's dodge. Rather, her attention was now fixed on the lucky target of her arrow—a blonde man (_Or is it a woman, _she thought with confusion) who was screaming at the top of his lungs at the sharp pain he felt in his hand before it exploded inside the palm's mouth.

"Ow!! That stung, damn it! Son of a bitch, hmm!!" said Deidara as the tongue in his hand took the necessary precautions to minimize the damage done. "What the hell did you dodge for you, freaking excuse of a goldfish?!"

"Heh heh! I thought you were a master artist of explosions, _partner_!" howled Kisame with laughter.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!! WHO THE HELL IS _IMMUNE_ TO FREAKING EXPLOSIONS, YOU DAMN SUSHI FOR BRAINS?!?!"

"Whatever," said Kisame with a shrug as he teleported out of Ino's view. She gasped with fear and turned her wheel-chair around. _Have to get away, _she said to herself as her hands worked the rubber handles again and again. _If he catches me like this, there's no telling…There's no telling what he'll do to me! _

However, she didn't get very far when she saw the enormous blue-skinned monster standing before her. Hastily, she moved her hands on to the wheels once more, trying to backtrack and find another exit. However, on turning around, all she saw was Deidara. The previous comic nature of his injury was now but a memory; he looked at her darkly, with a sadistic smile on his face.

"Little bitch…If there's one thing I hate more than idiots who can't appreciate art, it's Konoha brats who think they can underestimate me and get away alive, yeah!"

Ino felt her body flying out of the cushioned seat; the green patient's robe she was wearing came loose, revealing the bandages around her crotch and thighs along with the undergarments she had on. In vain, she tried to stab the assailant, Kisame, with a kunai she had hidden in them, but her hand stopped before she even knew what was going on. The snapping of the bones in her wrist caused her nerves to twist and her suffering to soar. She screamed in pain as she clutched her left wrist tightly. The shark smirked once again before punching her and positioning her on her back.

"I think I know this woman, yeah…Ain't she the one who was with that Kyuubi brat when he took out Kakuzu?" asked Deidara when he inspected her face closer. "Heh…If I remember correctly though, she really didn't do much, yeah…You listening, fish-breath?"

He wasn't. Kisame was too busy peering at the precious bandages she had below her navel. The intricate patterns of the dressings allowed him to discern what kind of wound it was that had landed her up in that wheel-chair he had just toppled over. It all led to one specific area, and he smiled a mouth full of fangs upon realizing it.

"Hey Deidara," he said, as he oriented the still-covered tip of his Samehada sword on top of her right arm, while he kept his left foot on her left arm. Ino winced and twitched with pain; tears were already spilling down her cheeks. As she looked up at Kisame's upside visage, she remembered the position she was in.

_All the hope in the world_, she thought with sadness. _Please Kami-sama…Use all the hope in the world to save me…Not again…Please not again… _

"What's your deal, hmm? Just what are you—"

Kisame brought his free foot down on the area of Ino's body which was bandaged the most.

At that instant, she felt something inside of her break. The blood from her crotch quickly began to stain the white wrappings. Kisame's smile grew wide, the light reflecting off of his pearly fangs. Nothing made sense any more to the young Yamanaka. Not religion, not God, not love, not strength, not friendship, not even family…There was only one reality at that time; one reward that she received for thinking she could make a difference.

Pain. Pure, unadulterated, unflinching, unrivalled _pain._

"Aaah!" she screamed in horror. "Aaah! Aaah!" Her lower body began to contort wildly, but her legs wouldn't move. They _couldn't_ move; not when the pain caused by doing so seemed to skyrocket even more. Her arms were bound by the blue monster's effortless strength; he brought his foot down onto her crotch yet again, making the red stain even deeper. The more he pounded, the deeper the crimson shade became. With a little twinkle in his eyes, he thought of using a little variation, and twisted his foot left and right on her precious feminity upon stomping on it again. The injury went beyond mere bandages, as it begun to stain even her panties with its pent-up fluids.

_Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop._

"Heh! Now this is what I call fun!" said Kisame as he lifted his bloodied sandal to trample on her once more. "This makes all the waiting worthwhile!"

"Che…Do whatever you want…Shiori's got nothing on you, ya freakin' psycho," he said. Suddenly, his voice became more serious. "Oye Kisame! Behind you—"

The Monster of the Hidden Mist sensed it as well: a figure of great power appearing from behind him, ready to strike. "What in the—"

Kisame brought his hands up and blocked the powerful backhanded punch aimed at his head. The enormous force caused him to roll back a few feet as Deidara stood in shock of what he was now witnessing. The aura of reddish chakra surrounding the figure of Maito Gai with his eyes completely white and the intense pressure of blood rising up to his skin surface showed the amount of power he was now drawing upon. His senses turned towards the exploding clay-fighter and knocked him back a good distance away before he could form any kind of defense against him. Ino was in too much pain to be able to say anything to the Jounin—not that it would have mattered much, since he was in hiding ever since she evacuated the medical personnel to a safer location. The extent of his injuries weeks ago required more than just medical jutsu to cure. But time wasn't something he could spare when it came to protecting the children of the village. The five gates he opened would have to be enough to stop Kisame, if only momentarily. Deidara, as always, didn't quite fit into the equation, and this would soon come back to haunt him.

"We meet again, old pal," said Kisame as he straightened himself up. Upon seeing Gai's unchanged expression, he laughed.

_He's in so much pain he can barely keep his form up. Heh… As always, a hopeless idiot._

"I…will…pro…tect…"

"Hmm? What's that?"

"I will," he uttered as blood started to leak from his mouth. His muscles tensed; reddish embers began to take shape on his arms and legs as he readied an attack that Kisame was all too familiar with: Morning Peacock. "I…will…protect…every—"

An explosion broke out, the location being Gai's back. The skin burned off as he howled with pain. The green beast of Konoha fell onto his knees, his face locked in a pupiless expression of horror as he lost consciousness. As he fell, Deidara came into view, his hands in the usual seal of 'Katsu' that he used to detonate his explosives.

"Next time, pay more attention to the little ants on your back, yeah…You never now when they could suddenly blow you to pieces," he said with a smirk, proud of the miniature explosives he managed to make on such short notice. Kisame nodded before walking towards Ino, who was now unconscious from all the pain she had been experiencing earlier. A small pool of blood began to form around her legs, as Kisame brought his sword up to finish the first on his long list of future casualties.

_For what its worth, _he said with a semi-serious, semi-satisfied and all too sadistic grin, _the smell of your blood and the agony of your screams is out of this world._

A gust of wind blew through the hallways, cutting everything but the two Konoha Nin who had tried to stop the Akatsuki commanders from moving forward. Deidara moved towards the hallway he and Kisame emerged from only to feel a shudder at his feet. He gasped upon seeing what it was.

Sand.

The six armed body of Karasu came at him, seconds after he sucked up the sand to create some more exploding clay. He heaved a few C1 homing birds at the puppet, but they were blown back and torn apart by another heavy gust of wind. The zephyrs passed through the explosions before moving onwards towards Deidara in an attempt to shred him apart. The artistic fighter positioned a wall of clay before him that stopped the wind cold; he placed his palm on the matter and it dissolved into dozens of exploding spiders that began to crawl towards their unknown targets. More sand shot out and crushed each one of the spiders before assimilating the damaging energy from the blasts. Deidara hissed at the result and looked at his opponents.

A woman with brownish blonde hair arranged into four ponytails and a half open fan looked at him from her spot just above Ino. Her black dress fluttered with the remaining breeze in the air before she closed her device and started to walk towards the Akatsuki Nin with determination all over her face. Temari bit her thumb and spread the blood on her arm; she made a few symbols before summoning numerous floating scythes to encircle her as she made her way towards her opponent.

Two more puppets creaked side by side with the calm Kankuro as he pocketed his hands and moved towards Deidara along with his sister. The black ant, the scorpion, the crow and the puppeteer—the force of four contained in one Jounin of the Sand as his eyes filled with malice.

Standing in between them, dressed in red and partially recovered from his exhaustion earlier was the strongest of all the Suna warriors. He said nothing. He specifically instructed his siblings not to say anything during the fight that was to occur. For now, there was no need for information. No need to know what Akatsuki's plans were. Only one thing was clear in the mind of Sabaku no Gaara, the Kazekage of Sunagakure—Akatsuki had to be eliminated. The more painfully, the better. A few pillars of sand began to move along with Gaara and his siblings, ready to defend them at a moment's notice, as they made their way towards Deidara. The blonde smirked before running down the way he came. He was sure they would follow him outside; he would reach there first and be ready to bomb them mercilessly with his new jutsu. The only thing he needed as a long-range fighter was space and the outdoors had lots of it. The three Suna siblings gave chase to Deidara, leaving Kisame alone with the lifeless bodies of Gai and Ino.

"Oye! Do you think you can just ignore me and—"

He felt it again. The presence of someone behind him. Odd thing was, it wasn't attacking. The man-shark swung Samehada in a downward fashion only to feel the sword being caught by the figure behind him. Kisame turned around, his eyes full of bloodlust, only to recoil in shock. The predatory habits he always felt, the love for carnage he always harbored—he could see it all in the eyes of the silver-haired man behind him. He could've sworn he sensed more killing intent from the warrior than even that coming from him at the time. Kisame saw Samehada in the stranger's hands and knew what a mistake the man had just made, since all the monster had to do was pull and he would effectively shave his entire palm off. One large tug after another was made but this only brought the man closer and close to his face, until they were finally eye-to-eye. He gritted his fangs when he realized the man was sizing up to him perfectly. The stranger's hand didn't even quiver as it contained the raw power that Kisame was trying to exert on his blade.

"I am not one for dramatic lines, Swordsman," he said with a gruff voice, his eyes not leaving Kisame's for a second. "I'm a lot stronger than Maito Gai is. You may challenge me," he said as he raised his right fist quickly, "At your convenience!"

He brought his fist down just as Kisame oriented the lower portion of Samehada to take the majority of the attack. The shock from the fist resonated through the floor at their feet, as it unhinged a little before a slight cracking and small puffs of dust were generated. The blue shark opened his eyes again to see Shirow flipping through the air before delivering an axe-kick deep into his skull. The metal ground was unable to take any more attacks; it fell through, taking both man and beast with it, making no distinction in the pain that it would inflict on either of them.

"Kamia-dono."

The old man let his vision adjust to the sudden burst of light. He spotted a figure with shoulder length hair the color of emerald offering her hand to him. As he took it, he gazed into her hazel eyes.

"Misaki-chan! Where have you been?"

"At the bridge, helping the Kazekage-sama to get back on his feet. Good thing I was there, but…he seemed very adamant to come with me rather than rest."

Misaki signaled her colleague and with a nod, he left the room only to be immediately greeted by the bodies of Ino and Gai, sprawled across the floor like corpses.

"Such evil," he said, as he rushed towards Ino and began to administer emergency treatment while his colleague began work on Gai's ruptured back. More nurses and medic Nin began to file out from the store room that Ino encased them in for their own protection. A tremor vibrated throughout the floor (what was left of it anyway). The old man saw the giant hole created just a few steps away and looked at the girl medic with concern. "What's happening?"

"Hittori-Nii-sama is fighting against Hoshigake Kisame. His opponent is one those seven, so it appears that he is not willing to hold back," she said before finishing her treatment on Gai and handing him over to a waiting stretcher. "I will join him in a few minutes after I am sure of the safety of our patients."

"Nani?! M-Misaki-chan…You can't be serious…"

Misaki stopped before going to the rest of the patients. "The shinobi of the Haven are all fighting the forces of Akatsuki. Some of the ninjas have even entered the ship and are fighting against the Hittori and other clans of the Leaf. No one else will be able to help Nii-sama at this instant. And besides…"

She turned around and revealed her smiling round face to her fellow medical specialist. "When Nii-sama and I are together, we never lose."

The doctor rubbed his glasses in disbelief before returning to treating Ino. However, only two floors below him, the violent battle between Kisame and Shirow was still underway.

**--X--**

"_Nii-sama."_

_Shirow lifted his head up as he looked at the remains of the village of the Sound. Most of it was burned; several citizens had died, including many of his fellow clan members. He was under an unbearable feeling of exhaustion, but upon hearing the cries for battle arriving from the direction of his fellow shinobi, he knew it would be time to go to war again. The water pipes in the village had been taken apart systematically, sector by sector. The unwashed blood on his palms was beginning to dry and itched madly. Shirow tightened his forehead protector and turned to face his beautiful sister, Misaki, who had been waiting for his trance to end._

"_Speak, Misaki-imouto," he said with a solemn voice._

"_We must be going soon. The forces of Akatsuki are enroute to Konoha as we speak. Also…" she said with a bit of sadness, "Sasuke-sama is calling for you. He has something that he wants to discuss with the two of us."_

"_Understood. Let us hurry then. If Akatsuki's campaign against the Leaf will indeed start before the sun rises, then there is no time to spare."_

_Shirow kicked aside some rocks with the heel of his foot as he made his way off of the pile of rubble. He stopped after some time when he realized that his sister wasn't following his lead. "What's bothering you, Misaki?"_

"_Shirow-Nii-sama," she said. Her hands that were folded behind her tightened as she spoke what was on her mind. "Konohagakure…What are they to us know? For the past several years, before Sasuke-sama's arrival, they killed many of our friends and family. Also, I just can't forget…what they did to Tayuya…I…I just find it hard to believe how brutally they killed her…_

"_She was always the one to tell me, 'Keep your goddamn head up, even if it's raining blood'. The people who killed her…I just don't know what I will do when I am in their presence… What if I lose myself and end up hurting those who were not even involved? I'm scared brother…More than the fighting, more than the carnage…I'm so scared of what I may do…"_

_Shirow looked at his sister in the eye and let out a rough sigh. "You cannot make distinctions Misaki…Not in this world, not any more…If one shinobi of Konoha killed the one you loved, then it was the will of the entire village that she should have died. They had their reasons, and maybe they were right…"_

"_Nii-sama!" she said with shock, before he put a hand on her head and continued._

"_We are not ones to question what is right and what is wrong. Many of the Sound thought Tayuya was wrong for following Orochimaru-sama and trying to capture Sasuke-sama. Some say she was wrong for helping a man who was lost and tormented to give up not only his life but any evidence of his entire existence. Tayuya was not exactly looked up to by the citizens of Oto…_

"_However, she was still one of us. Her will represented our will, and even though we could not save her then, it was the way she chose to die—in the service of Orochimaru-sama. We cannot question her loyalty and love for her village in that respect, just as we cannot question the actions of the one who killed her to save his fellow shinobi. So when we arrive in Konogakure, never forget our current duty as shinobi of the Sound and as members of Hittori: Our will to protect Konoha and its people, and to serve Sasuke-sama till the end, is what represents the will of the Otogakure. What has happened in the past and what will transpire in the future will be put aside in front of that fact, as you will learn when you slowly grasp the reality of what is happening there," he said as he calmly began walking away. However, Misaki was still not moving from her spot. She winced a few times before wiping her eyes a little._

"_Why do you believe in him so much," she said, the sadness still apparent in her eyes, "In Sasuke-sama..."_

"_Because," said Shirow as he spotted the Haven getting ready for take-off. He let his arms lay on his sides and closed his eyes, as he felt his exhaustion reaching its peak. "With him…I feel as though…"_

Kisame swung the Samehada with all his might, but he was still unsuccessful in landing any blows on Shirow. Another sword slash was caught by Shirow. He clenched onto the shark scales beneath the torn off bandage and hauled Kisame's face into his waiting forearm. This caused the Akatsuki lieutenant to back up a few spaces.

_Even though I'm fighting him with half my strength, he's still able to hold his own. Who the hell is this guy?! _The pain was almost non-existent at first but it was beginning to grow on the man-shark.

A stab aimed at Shirow's abdomen found its mark; Kisame continued to thrust until pushing the sturdy Hittori into another wall. His opponent was bleeding from the internal pain but his expression still hadn't changed. The same stoic, furrowed and tense face stared at Kisame with enormous killing intent. His eyes seemed to be drilling a hole through the shark's very will.

Upon the collapse of the wall, Kisame leapt on top of Shirow, making sure his entire body's weight was focused at his feet as he stepped on his arms. With apparently no means to counter-attack, Kisame lifted his Samehada up and brought it down with both hands on his enemy's face. The metal floor below his head was dented deeply; it seemed that all life had left his body. Like he was hammering a nail inside a pesky, resistant wall, Kisame smashed his sword against the Hittori leader's head again and again, each time redoubling his power. After his target seized breathing, the shark smirked with pride. Yet another successful kill. He hadn't anticipated a pair of hands grabbing his feet and throwing him off balance. His bleeding temple and cracked forehead protector aside, Shirow still showed no signs of relent.

_Just what in the hell is this guy made of, _thought Kisame frantically before he felt his entire frame being lifted up.

Down the hallway, where several Leaf and Sound Nins were busy fighting agasint the grunts of Akatsuki, Genma dispatched another one of his enemies before huddling back-to-back with his long time partner, Raidou.

"Just another ordinary day in the life of Konoha shinobi, eh buddy," he said with a bored face and a fighting disposition. An Akatsuki Nin wielding two swords rushed towards the pair maniacally, only to fall dead from a quick senbon lodged into his neck. Genma grinned tiredly at the result. He never thought he'd be happy to get that thing out of his mouth, until he was wounded internally and had to let the blood seep through his teeth while he clutched onto his favorite tool. "How long do you think this'll last?" he asked, as he coughed a few times to give his lungs some rest from the internal blood build-up.

Raidou crossed both kunai in his hands and deflected the shuriken that had been aimed at the different critical areas of his body. "Who knows…These bastards are awfully persistent for being just mere grunts…Where do you think the main members have gone?"

"Don't know, and frankly, I'd rather not find out…"

An enormous thumping sound was heard that rocked the hull of the ship. It knocked all the shinobi present off their feet. Not that they weren't used to that sort of thing, but it was the surprise more than anything that caused a select few to look for its source. Raidou looked to his partner and nodded. The pair leap-frogged over a few more attacking ninjas, stabbing each of them in different areas of their faces before rushing a few steps forward. That's when they saw the unreal. After hearing all the rumors about Kisame and his legendary power, and how he single-handedly took down the container for the Yonbi, it was only natural that the two shinobi of the Leaf would be shocked.

For there was Hittori Shirow holding Kisame by his legs and, from the enormous dent he made in the floor earlier, heaved his heavy frame into a neighboring wall, causing it to collapse into pieces. But he wasn't done just yet. Shirow tightly clenched Kisame's head and rammed it into the floor, causing yet another enormous rumble. The Monster of the Hidden Mist was getting annoyed for sure, but as he revealed his spiteful eyes to his foe, a fist of pure power met his face. The panel beneath him suffered yet another enormous dent in it, and as Shirow raised both of his fists, the two Konoha shinobi thought they heard some strange humming moving through the hallways. A few objects were shaking visibly from this humming but only for a few seconds as the Hittori Clan leader brought the sledge down onto Kisame's head. The ground crumbled once more, taking them even deeper into the vertical labyrinth that was the Haven, and this time the attack was so powerful that the two warriors passed through the next floor, and then the next, and then the next, until one could no longer see them in the darkness. Only a few flashes of light and some distant sword swings, along with the odd rumble or two was enough to inform any observers of their continuing fight to the death.

Raidou simply stood there for a few seconds looking down into the hole with his eyes full of surprise. Genma simply tsked once, and closed his eyes to absorb all that he had just witnessed. After a few seconds, he turned to his partner and asked with all seriousness.

"So…That guy was on our side, right?"

**--X--**

"Confirmed reaching docking area, number 3," said the man wearing a large spherical helmet that nearly covered his whole head. After scanning the surroundings below, he looked towards his other squad members and nodded. Number 1 stepped forward, and as quietly as possible, each of them proceeded in a flanking position towards the main hangar doors that lead to the warehouse of the Haven. Various supplies and machinery were stored there, most of it junk but along with the subterranean levels and the top, it formed one of the main escape routes of the flying air fortress. The six had already destroyed the emergency chutes that could be used to abandon the ship if it was on fire or under attack—any survivors could then either make a getaway on foot if they were on land, or they could make use of the parachutes tactically located amongst the junk better.

Either way, this dangerous squad of individuals who memorized the past ten years of battle tactics known to all assassins and who gave up their singular identities so that they could think as one cohesive unit had a mission: The shinobi of Konoha were not to leave the Haven alive.

They were just outside the hangar doors when they noticed a strange seal on the door. Upon sensing its inner-most reaches with their chakra, the Dusk Squad found that the metallic gateway had been sealed off to them. Removing the paper present on the door-way would be useless; they had been familiar with this seal before. In the Ninja Reserves where they often used to fill in as instructors, the squad members often came across a special kind of imprisoning technique which consisted of placing a number of special tags across various strategic areas in order to protect a vulnerable area. In order to get by the special sealing, each member of the Dusk Squad would have to locate one of the six special tags (indicated by the '6' for the seal on the hangar doors) and remove each simultaneously. It was quite easy for the members, who already split off in different directions after conveying their orders to one another, to guess what Konoha's tactic was. If they were going to seal this entrance, it would mean that they had other exits planned for the innocents and wounded to escape. However, since Zetsu was on the bottom floors and Deidara and Kisame were on the upper floors, the least possible risk would be to guard them against the Akatsuki mercenaries. Since they chose to seal the door instead, it was all quite obvious.

A six-on-six battle had been planned, where the Konoha ninjas were waiting to ambush the Dusk Squad. Their plan had been found out but who was to say they hadn't anticipated that as well? As the situation stood, they would have to fight to the death.

Number 1 moved upwards to where the nearest balcony was; Number 2 was instructed to stay in the open docking area and pull of the seal on the hangar door when he received the signal; Number 3 chose to use his special skills to infiltrate a few levels below the hangar area, knowing that it would be an enclosed spot and that he would definitely find his seal/opponent; Number 4 caught sight of a shaded area close to the docking area which was a little out of sight from where number 2 was and began to inspect it; Number 5 took a flight of stairs that led him to a lower elevation of the docking area, and which eventually led to a medium sized weapons room; while Number 6 journeyed to a watch tower to the east of the docking area, surrounded as it was by masses of smoldering wreckages that seemed to have some semblance to the gunnery towers they were told about in the briefing. Upon getting into their positions, each member of the Dusk Squad radioed in and gave the word to remove the tags.

"Number 1, two floors up, balcony, removing seal."

"Number 3, furnace room four levels down, removing seal."

"Number 6, watch tower to the east, removing seal."

"Number 4, behind open docking area, removing seal."

"Number 5, weapons cache one level down, removing seal."

"Number 2, main hangar doors, removing seal—"

A punch accompanying the breakage of ceramic erupted over the radio communications network. The seal on the hangar doors, having been half removed and half-torn off, was gone; the barrier shielding the exit door for whatever shinobi were still alive and inside the Haven had been obliterated. However, the Dusk Squad was now face-to-face with each of their enemies.

Her blue denim jacket was buttoned up, hiding the upper portion of her pink tank top from view. The combat slacks she had on were yellowish-green and a bit faded, but she didn't mind one bit—the ample pockets replaced her kunai and shuriken holsters while a pair of straps on the left provided her with a place to keep her sheathed wakizashi. There was a smile on her face as she looked upon the pieces of the mask that she had been broken off when her chakra-enhanced punch grazed Number 2's head. The ninja mask he wore underneath made it clear that she wouldn't be recognizing him anytime soon; she stroked her pink hair back and showed that she didn't really care. As she took her fighting stance once more, Sakura smirked at her opponent who began to circle her as she followed his movements with killing intent.

On an abandoned balcony two floors up, where he was met with nothing but sealed doors that could have led him further into the Haven if their security supervisor was so retarded, Number 1 looked at his opponent with a mixed look of worry and joy. The former because of the silver-haired man dressed in midnight black ANBU gear wielding a hitless kitana in front of him that glistened against the sunlight and the latter upon realizing that said shinobi was the son of the 'White Fang' Hatake Sakumo and the famed Copy Ninja of Konoha, Kakashi. It was often said that he wrote the book on ANBU tactics in his day; Number 1 couldn't help but test his skills against him. The Sharingan in his left eye was steady in its analysis of its enemy; Kakashi lifted the crackling blade in front of him until it was level with his face. In the next instant, both warriors disappeared with a soundless flicker.

The furnace room wouldn't have been such a bad location to fight an enemy. A long narrow corridor with three rows of alternating conveyor belts that ended with a blast furnace consuming each and every bit of junk that fell through the special vents built into the sides and roof of the hallway with aplomb, meant that an enemy of great speed would have their maneuverability decreased by a good 40. This didn't bother Number 3, though. When it came right down to business, he was all about power and brute force. Imagine his surprise when he met some one with neither insane speed nor monstrous strength. Tenten clutched her wooden staff tightly, before peering out of the corners of her eyes for the minimal tools she brought along for this assassination mission. Two scrolls were contained in the pouch strapped at the back of her waist; projectile holsters were belted onto her forearms and shins, her shoulders, her abdomen and on the back of her neck. The simple white attire she wore wasn't going to cause her a hindrance in this battle. And as far as she could remember, she always had this strong attraction to white that dated back to when she had graduated from the academy. The flames of the furnace rose hungrily as more trash was dumped onto the conveyor belts. The arrival of the Weapons Mistress seemed to signal their movement, along with the beginning of the battle.

Number 5 encountered no problems whatsoever, and thought that since the seals had been removed, he should continue his mission. His allies would subdue the enemy ambush for now. Unfortunately, he never noticed the girl dressed in a violet ninja suit whose straight hair drooped downwards. The Byakugan in her left eye made a mental note of his weapons and amount of chakra, while her new left eye burned with the desire for revenge. Hyuuga Hanabi stayed some distance from the Dusk Squad member, and after some time, began to make her pursuit towards the main hangar doors.

Nara Shikamaru yawned. The area behind the open docking area was chosen by him due to the number of light sources and shadows that existed. When everyone around him was envying the new outfits they wore, he decided to stick with his normal Jounin vest and clothes. The chakra trench knives with knuckle-dusters that he had kept in his back pocket had been recently sharpened. Looking straight at his opponent, the fourth member of the Dusk Squad, he remembered the jutsu that he logged into this stage of the plan—one not-so-fancy jutsu, one deadly yet draining jutsu, one used for trapping and then the new jutsu he had invented quite some time back. Spending time on perfecting the new technique should have been his past priority, what with all the taijutsu training he had been receiving from Kakashi in the past few weeks. Equipping the knives, he walked slowly towards the enemy with Ino's face in his mind. But not the same face full of spunk and anger who proudly preened over her long blonde hair. The only image he could dig up in the recesses of his mind was that of her tearful, short-haired head as it spoke from the confines of her wheel-chair. Yet, for some reason, he couldn't help but think about how beautiful she was. It was troublesome to think that way, for sure, but he still felt that it was the truth.

A tower can be many things—it can easily signify the advantage of higher ground as one attacks his enemy from a safe location. It could also symbolize defense—a castle could be made impenetrable if it had a good supply of towers guarding it. But for a member of the Aburame Clan, a tower symbolized a hive, a place where a clan member could just as easily raise insects as he could trap an enemy. Standing with his back to the sun, Shino relayed the reports that various insects were supplying to him as they attacked Dusk Squad No. 6. He knew that this wasn't going to be an easy fight, yet the quiet and composed rage he was feeling was reflected in his orders to his bugs to drain the enemy of his chakra and then devour his entire life-force. After the destruction of his clan's home, he felt that it was only right to honor one's karma, no matter how painful it would, as he had hoped the mercenary beneath him would understand.

And with arrival of their opponents, the Konoha 6 began to put their plan of exterminating the Dusk Squad for ever more into motion.

**--X--**

_"It seems the fight is about to begin," said Hinata, who had once again donned her disguise as the so-called Akatsuki Leader. Her hair was once again orange, the eyes concealed by the plains of emerald green. She conveyed the message to her army of shinobi to attack the Haven, fully aware that soldiers of that level wouldn't stand too much chance against a fully armed battle-ship and the collective personnel of Konoha, Otogakure and the Snow Country. That is, if so called Leaf shinobi, who compromised the bulk of the fighting force, had recovered from their injuries. Sabaku no Gaara's sand jutsu kept the rest of the ship relatively intact, despite the 15-foot wide critical strike she dealt to the right wing; however, a jutsu of that magnitude meant he wouldn't be waking up for a while. Itachi looked to his master, who still had the pronounced Akatsuki straw hat covering her features._

_"They're meant to tire them out, yet it seems we will have to perform most of the real work when we attack that airship." Itachi spared a glance to the skies-- Deidara was already making his way to the top-most level of the ship via one of his patented clay-birds. Kisame was burrowing a ride on his own separate clay bird transport, the extra weight of the Samehada and its wielder tipping the creature from one side to the other. Zetsu was smarter-- he tunneled deep underground, and would be making his presence felt in the lower hangar area of the ship. The murderer of the prolific clan examined the ship carefully. _

_The ship would already be devoid of any non-military personnel-- that's for sure. The large open docking area looks to be one composed of a special chakra fiber, judging by the strange flow of chakra in its 72 inch thick layer. The bridge would be that center-most area overlooking the dock; no doubt the Hokage and Jiraiya-san would be commanding their shinobi from there. It would also function as the main control room for the functioning of the ship's weaponry. The ship's personnel will be eliminated completely if all goes according to plan..._

_"Itachi..."_

_The raven haired man looked towards his master emotionlessly._

"_Before you kill any one else," she said, a vile smile crossing her lips unseen. "Find Tobi and bid him farewell on my behalf. He appears to be somewhere around that dock."_

_"Hai," he said, without actually saying it at all. His figure disappearing in a flash was all the words she needed, his cold demeanor being the only reinforcement she needed, and his evil eyes (full of nothing but hate of the deepest kind) being the only reminder that if need be, he would bathe the halls with blood in order to find his target. The perfect killing machine. The devil himself. The perfect tool. In essence, all of this made him the perfect shinobi._

His feathery black ponytail was flowing with the wind and hence constantly thrown back by the velocity of his movements. Even without the Sharingan, he could see the endless number of Akatsuki ninjas falling around him. He made one long sprint across the desert sands, relying on nothing more than his own physical stamina to carry him across. Someone on the bridge of the great Haven finally took note of his advance as dictated by the increasing number of shuriken and kunai that were now being aimed at him. Maxi, the commanding officer on the bridge, recognized the man from Sasuke's description—which was basically, 'He's me but he's not'—and was baffled by how he could be avoiding all that weaponry being tossed at him. He quickly brought up the control panel and patched a message through to the armory, the various sections of the ship firing the projectiles, to switch to the bronze pointed rounds he had in limited supply. Though at first hasty about his own decision, Maxi gave the go-ahead, and before he knew it, Uchiha Itachi was surrounded by a hail of bullets that formed a wall blocking his passage. Annoyed by the prevention of his advance by mere insects, he started doing the impossible—calculating the relative distance and time that each bullet forming the so-called wall would take to reach him, he charged headlong and began to catch the ammunition between his fingers. With rapid movements, almost appearing like a blur, several bullets were plucked out of the air by his hawk-like vision.

"Reports coming in from the gunnery divisions: Approximately 1763 rounds were fired without a single one landing on the target! Target is still approaching ship at high velocity! Estimated time until target reaches the ship is 12 seconds!"

"Dammit! What do we have left?!" screamed Maxi to his personnel.

"600 rounds more of ammunition, 500 kunai, 250 windmill shuriken, and almost 450 shuriken! Exploding tag ammo is scattered across the various ninja projectiles!"

"Right!" screamed Maxi, as he manned his station. "Attention gunners! Distract the target using whatever bullets we have left and lure him into an impasse before launching all exploding tag ammo! I repeat, corner him with all our ammunition and use exploding tag projectiles to eradicate the target completely!"

Itachi adjusted his view slightly, and sighed once more. Two fresh streams of bullets were on his trail, one cutting him off from altering his path while the other made sure to keep him running. This game was starting to tire him as he took a long look at whatever was left of the armies they had sent in to infiltrate the ship. The ninjas that got to the ship as soon as it crashed managed to get inside and would provide just the distraction that they would need to pursue the murder of every shinobi on the airship. Moving back to his current obstruction, the Sharingan master caught sight of a number of kunai, shuriken and windmill blades being launched and planted in the path before him. Of course he could have just turned 30 serious for a brief millisecond and moved far away where the bullets wouldn't even be able to touch him. But he decided to have some fun. The prodigy's expression remained dead-pan, with only a small smirk denoting his intentions. The gunfire was now closed in on him from both sides. The ignited exploding tags had only a second left on their fuse. The raven haired youth lunged forward into the awaiting chain reaction…

The explosions taking place rocked the whole desert. One could swear that the towering stone monuments that overlook the enormous battleground shook to and fro upon the enormous combustion of sulphur and chakra. Maxi shielded his eyes from the blast with his patented goggles, whilst the Snow Country personnel were too busy trying to recalibrate their instruments for locating any more targets.

"Target status?"

"Large obstruction of view from smoke emissions is making analysis difficult. Radar reveals no sign of target anywhere. Still scanning for info on blast radius and decimation of enemy soldiers—" Suddenly, the young engineer, the same one who escorted Tsunade to her room peacefully only a few weeks ago, gasped as she heard what was coming in through her headphones. Her face became a mix of horror as tears began to escape her eyes; she ripped the headset off and covered her mouth sobbing horribly.

"What the hell?" Maxi was about to demand a status report but on seeing his young assistant emotionally detained, he picked up the headset and began to listen in on the proceedings.

The sound of flesh being ripped apart, as a blade skinned the bodies alive, could be heard. Screams of agony and pleading for help went unanswered; the chatter of other soldiers mourning the loss of their comrades and foolishly trying to face off against the murderer was also heard. A tower exploded and another rain of radio chatter could be heard. Something landed in tower B, and within seconds started to torture all the personnel present there. The other neighboring tower, tower D, sensing their comrades to be dead turned their sites on to the tower, aiming to blow it up and defeat the attacker. Little did they know that his plan was merely to cut their tongues off and break their jaws so that they couldn't convey the need for their friends to seize fire. Tower B went up in smoke, taking about 20 personnel with it. Tower C was now heard to be under attack while Tower D recorded seeing millions of demons dressed in black cloaks stabbing them over and over again. Now the brown haired Kagura listened even more intently than ever, because the only sound coming out from the headset were the sounds of static and raging fire.

After another two seconds, only the sound of static remained.

Four gunnery towers had just been annihilated in less than a minute.

A voice suddenly came online and called for whoever was in charge of the strike. Maxi answered the call. "Who the—Just what the hell are you?! How did you even—"

He immediately froze on seeing the figure before him, standing on the ledge of the window-sill just outside of the command deck. His black cloak had not even been stained with any sand or blood and as it fluttered with the breeze, half of it generated from the explosions and fast acrobatics from earlier, the other half being a result of Mother Nature paying her debts to the dead ones, the passage of the red clouds scaring Maxi out of his wits.

_He survived almost 2400 rounds of bullets, hundreds of projectiles and a mountain of explosions, wrecked our gunnery compartments on the landing dock, and ran all the way up here onto the window sill…Uchiha Itachi…H-He…He looks like he just came back from a morning walk…_ Maxi was about to reach for the pistol he kept underneath his table at all times, an antiquated one-shot device that still needed to be perfected, though it no longer required the constant stuffing of gunpowder with every shot like his older models had. He was still unsure if he was doing the smart thing. Itachi continued to stare at him with his emotionless eyes, his mouth partially obscured by his dastardly cloak.

Just as Maxi's fingers touched the handle, a voice rang out through his headset, issuing a cold and commanding, "Don't."

Maxi looked back at the window, as he saw Itachi with his left hand pressing down on the speaker button for the miniature radio in his ear. "Do not tempt me. I am in no mood to waste my time on weaklings like you."

"H-H-Hai," said Maxi. _What to do…What could I possibly do?_

"I simply want you to answer one question: Is Tobi on this ship?" Itachi's gaze was still piercing into the very depths of Maxi's heart, almost like a genjutsu to extract information from a person. There was nothing he could really do but answer the demon before him, even if he carried no knowledge of the mentioned person.

"W-W-What? W-Who are you talking a-about?"

The demon's gaze intensified and it felt as though the stratosphere itself could not contain his killing intent; almost like it was going to shatter through the very glass of the deck. Afraid to move, Maxi's fingers remained hovering over the pistol, praying for some kind of miracle to happen, but nothing would make Itachi go away. The whole crew, the running of the machines, the battles both outside and inside the ship—he was oblivious to everything. Only those clouds that sifted endlessly before him looked to be real at that moment.

"How may I get to the largest room on the 1st floor the fastest?" said Itachi, his voice a tad crackled but even icier and more cutting than before.

Maxi pointed his trembling fingers at the door behind him. "E-E-Elevator" was all his squeaky voice could utter.

At that instant, his heart stopped. One second, he blinked and the next, the figure of darkness and destruction passed right by him, his black cloak hitting his face once as it adjusted to the gusts of the ship's cooling system. Maxi thought he heard a scream, but wasn't sure if it was his own. As Itachi shifted a little past him, he muttered a lightly audible, 'Thank you'. He then slowly walked over to the door leading out of the command deck and calmly exited the room.

Itachi walked down the abandoned hallway slowly, taking his time to analyze his surroundings. At least now, he could be sure that he would have no interference from Maxi and his crew again—that is, when they finally got around to not seeing him in their nightmares after the next few weeks. The absence of the Hokage on the deck was not very startling, but he had found it odd that he couldn't detect her presence anywhere on the ship. The box-like compartment before him that indicated the floor number and had a control panel on the inside to transport one either up or down rapidly was still a foreign idea to the male. He calmly stepped inside and finding the button with the digit '**1**' imprinted on it, pressed it. The stainless steel carriage shook, and suddenly the lights turned to the emergency red tinge. Itachi raised an eyebrow not so much in doubt of the structure's ability and construction, but at what may have been a very foolish surprise attack in the making. Technology was still a bit of a difficult subject to him, especially when it came to the newest wares circulating throughout the world today, but he was very thoroughly schooled in sensing danger. However, the second after he shifted his gaze upwards, the lights turned back to normal and the elevator started to move slowly downwards. It began to lurch forwards after the 5th floor…

…Before immediately plunging downwards into the abyss as the emergency lights too went out, taking the raven-haired assassin all the way down to hell.

Itachi's body hadn't shuddered one bit, since his feet were still fastened firmly on the elevator floor through a negligible amount of chakra. He had anticipated such a strategy. The question now was: how was he to react? And that too, in a way that give his opponent the maximum amount of despondency and fear for having literally provoked a sleeping tiger? Itachi's nerves tickled once again—the temperature difference inside and outside the elevator began to grow at a high rate, something he measured upon examining the thermometer indicating the compartment's degree of hotness and using his memory of what the temperature had been outside of it. His eyes moved back down to the door, and he slowly closed them in anticipation.

The elevator hit the first floor violently, almost shattering the reinforced metal sheet beneath it that kept it from moving on to the basement areas where the residential areas were located. On Sasuke's instruction, Maxi created several areas in the ship that would be locked down in such a way that it would be impossible to directly by-pass them without tearing the ship apart. Hence one had to take a few detours here and there to reach such sensitive areas as the ones where the heart of the shinobi populace was residing. This would allow said shinobi populace to mount a proper ambush against any intruder.

This was different though. Today, only one man was planning the counter-attack against the Uchiha prodigy, openly issuing defiance against the man who for years was considered to be the most feared shinobi in the world.

The doors of the elevator split open upon impact with the floor…

…After which ravenous chakra-imbued hell-fires burst into the compartment, flooding it with flames and igniting the very air into a solid crisp.

_Useless._

One step forward. Then another. Then one more. After this, the rhythmic walking of the intended target of devastation began in earnest. His cloak was still unaffected, since canceling out Katon had always been like child's play for him. As he made his way down the long corridor, his Sharingan eyes were busy scanning where the target could be in the various rooms, but his superior tracking senses were already unconsciously mapping the path for him to follow. The scowl on his face hadn't changed one bit—all the evil in the world was concentrated solely at his eyes. And right now, his target was some one he wanted to annihilate more than anything else on the ship. Sasuke, of course, didn't count…He already knew of his precious younger brother's coordinates and almost allowed an evil smile on his face on realizing what he was currently attempting to pull off.

He shook off those amusing thoughts of torture and suffering that he had imagined for his kin (though he considered Sasuke's Hinata to be somewhat cute…maybe he would make her yield before him in the next life). Right now, his goal was another Uchiha. Another who had the gall to go up against the Akatsuki and expect to beat them in a fair fight. His silly ideals still hadn't changed from those times when he was just a little runt in the care of the Leader—still wanting to do what was right in his heart even if he had to break everything that was ever given to him out of care and compassion, however artificial it may have been. The Katon's Karyuu Endan that was intended to take out Itachi as soon as exited the elevator, as his target knew that it would take more than an elevator crash to kill the reaper of an entire clan, had been fired off from a large distance away…Determining where wasn't a problem at all. The prodigal bastard took another turn, avoided a double rope trap for an incapacitating combination of explosive notes and electric tags, deflected all the bullets from three ceiling mounted torrents with a kunai before splitting them apart with a weaker version of his Phoenix Flower jutsu and finally lived through, of all things, a cage of blades, where edged weapons of every shape, size and variety yet all sharpened with the intention to rip apart flesh with a single sting erupted from various points on the walls. The raven-haired Itachi found himself pierced at every corner of his body and then felt all of his pain turning to thin air. He continued to walk forward slowly, unwounded as the Kage Bunshin he left behind to take the entire attack faded into smoke.

The room was not that wide or long but its main feature was its height. The walls were made of incredibly strong active chakra absorbing fabric (distinct from the fabric used in the open docking area in that it would absorb chakra without the user's conscious actions) that could kill an ordinary Genin if he kept his hand on it for more than 15 seconds. Sasuke's favorite training area, specifically designed by Kagura Maxi for the sole purpose of dramatically increasing one's chakra reserves and control at an increased rate. Hanabi had been training in the same area for the past few weeks with her sensei, who now sat in the middle of the tower-high space, on a beat up old crate as he supported his arm on his right knee. His black hair had grown a little longer since the days he was with Akatsuki. His clothes were black but he now bore three important features: a flak vest the color of leaves, a forehead protector, freshly prepared, with the Konoha symbol in the middle of it and on the back of his vest was the symbol he looked upto his entire life. A symbol that brought ruin to the uncountable hoards who gazed upon it; one that represented power and pride just as much as it did identity and adulthood. Such were the dispositions of this noble warrior that he now had to turn such false inspirations into victory. However, he still had his hope, and come what may, he would defeat _the _Uchiha Itachi, even if he had to go down with him.

Itachi stood stationary at the door, ignoring the black and white mask with one eye-hole that had been discarded in a corner of the room. His gaze went up for a few moments as he took in all the details of the room's chakra flow without so much as a worry. A cold objective analysis of the space's properties was what it was, but then that was how Itachi was—if he was in a field of flowers, ready to fight, his first of many battle-ready thoughts would be to make his opponent die by merely choking on the numerous petals around him. It was never a question of 'how?' and always a question of 'what?' when it came to using his full capabilities as a shinobi.

"Hello," he said monotonously as he turned his gaze back towards his opponent, "_Tobi_."

"Yo, Itachi-_sempai_," the young man replied with a more jeering tone of sarcasm. He got up to his feet and smiled through the black blind-fold he had on his head. "How's it hanging?"

"I suppose you know why I have been sent for this particular job. But then of course you do…Why else would you go to such lengths," said Itachi as his killing intent rose, "To simply weaken me, knowing that my death would be impossible?"

"Heh. I may be a prankster," said Tobi as he stood on his feet and dusted the back of his black pants off, "But I'm not a fool. I know that a demon such as you won't die unless I send you to hell with my own hands…And even then, I stand to lose a whole lot. Itachi-san, before we begin this life-and-death battle, do you think I could tell you why I'm doing this?"

Itachi said nothing, which already confirmed that he was listening.

"Its all for her, Itachi-san. She was my only friend and the one person who understood….Hinata, Leader, Shinta, Sensei, Hime…I called her by many names, but that did nothing to loosen my love for her. Everything about her is unreal. Everything she wants to do—sacrificing this world to create the world of her dreams, sacrificing people's hearts and happiness to achieve that goal…It all seems so…unreal…" Tobi removed his blindfold and showed the deep scorn on his face that could no longer cry out of pain or happiness. "But it's because of that, because of the fact that I love her so much, that I have to stop her. I won't allow her to become a monster, or feel any more pain…I won't let her destroy everything at the price of her soul!!"

"Such noble words from such a fiery romantic…Not even willing to accept, after all this time, that you were never the one she wanted." Itachi removed his robe to reveal the black metal netting that made up his ninja shirt and shifted his stance towards his right foot, increasing the distance between his legs to prepare for the battle before him. "The time for talking is over.

"Uchiha Itachi of the Uchiha Clan, 2nd in Command of Akatsuki and loyal servant to Hyuuga Hinata-sama."

"Uchiha Obito of the Uchiha Clan, loyal shinobi to the village of Konoha, and the man who's going to kill you!" said Obito as he broke open the crate he was sitting on and removed a peculiar zanbato from its remains. He heaved the heavy horse-slaying sword down, causing a shockwave to careen towards Itachi at break-neck speed. The eldest Uchiha's Sharingan caught the nature of the attack; hence, he dodged it without so much as a second thought and rushed at Obito with the first two fingers of his right hand aimed at his heart. The lightning speed he displayed wasn't enough to hit his target fully; the razor sharp blow merely ripped through Obito's clothes.

Obito positioned himself on the wall and grinned wryly at Itachi, to which the latter began his sprint towards him. As soon as he started to run up the wall, though, his legs felt strange, and only a few feet away from his opponent, he lost his footing. This didn't alarm him in the least though; his free-falling frame never lost sight of Obito even once, and he even tried to make himself look unusually vulnerable to create a false opening. The zanbato slammed against the wall, creating yet another shock-wave aimed at Itachi. He spun his body in mid-air, just letting the attack graze him barely before heaving a hand full of kunai at Obito. The blind youth simply shifted his head to the left and then to the right, before bounding towards Itachi. By this time, Itachi had already reached the floor and with a single index finger, he thrust his body away from the zanbato slash aimed at his upper back and landed on his feet a short distance away. He then stood up and looked at Obito emotionlessly.

_Damn, he isn't even winded. I thought the room would have more of an impact on his performance than this. But the fight is just getting started!_ "Ha! Is that the best you've got? I thought the great Uchiha Itachi would pose more of a challenge than this!"

Itachi gave no response and simply chose to examine the walls of the room. Chakra-absorbing materials always had one weakness: they not only underestimated the amount of chakra one's body was capable of producing but also the way in which one was exactly capable of using it.

"No answer? Boring as usual…Even though you're a genius, no one can truly master climbing these walls. It takes days and days of practice before one can even grasp the proper control and chakra needed. But I guess that's not the only thing you find hard to combat, is it?" he said as he let the edge of the zanbato touch the floor. Itachi's eyes returned to the weapon Obito was holding in his hands as he spoke without any anger at all.

"The Suiton Zanbato," he said.

Akatsuki was always on the hunt for scrolls, specific ninja tools and ninja techniques in their earlier days before actively pursuing the retrieval of the nine Jinchuuriki. The four elemental weapons were also short-listed due to the immense power they contained in the hands of skilled users. One could simply unleash numerous elemental attacks without having to utilize any chakra at all. Konoha held the Raijin Saber many years back, before Aoi stole it and allowed his foolishness to destroy it. The Suiton Zanbato was one of the few weapons that each Akatsuki member was allowed to handle freely, and master at their own pace. Not many took interest in it, and it was only a matter of time before Obito stole it without their knowledge. Even if it was just a weapon, it still followed the elemental affinity cycle. No matter how skilled he was in other jutsu, as long as Itachi was affiliated to the Katon, he was at a natural disadvantage. This had been Obito's planning but…

"Katon: Tajyuu Karyuu no Jutsu!" A giant orb of flame erupted from Itachi's mouth only moments after he acknowledged the zanbato. Not caught off balance by his quick handseals or the speed of the surprise of the attack, Obito oriented the zanbato before him when the orb collided. A copious amount of steam had been generated, but he easily held it off. Not being able to see had its advantages, since he had no vision that could be hindered by the numerous pellets of water that had been sizzled off by Itachi's action. He deflected the attack and sent another shockwave at Itachi, which the prodigy dodged without much effort.

_Erratic breathing and heart-beat…That means I have him where I want him! _Something nagged Obito but he decided not to give it much thought. In a battle, one had to keep his personal opinions to the side and focus on downing his opponent, no matter what. Itachi's name wasn't meant to be a cruel joke of fate—he was smart, cunning and constantly increased the strain on his brain cells to come up with strategies in a battle. Obito moved the Suiton Zanbato a little closer to the floor, as his hands rested comfortably on the handle.

"Not so easy to use the Sharingan against some one with the same speed as you and no genjutsu that he can fall prey to, isn't it, Itachi-_sempai_?"

Once again, Itachi was without any answer. Obito listened carefully. His heartbeat was now very uncomfortable, probably due to…fear?

_No, _thought the former Akatsuki subordinate carefully. _Uchiha Itachi doesn't feel fear…It can come to him…But he just doesn't _feel _it. I guess I'll have to use everything I have before he can lure me into any traps. _"You know, Itachi-san, about this ship…There's always a unique advantage to those who train with these chakra absorbing materials the most."

"Do tell," said Itachi at last, without any emotion. He felt a little perturbed by his sudden speech, but then dismissed it as Itachi's way of getting into people's heads.

A jet of water suddenly appeared from right in front of Obito and launched itself at Itachi, who dodged it before returning his eyes to Obito's speech. There were no splashes or droplets created by the sudden burst of chakra-imbued water—it simply melded back into the room's wall.

"Chakra can be absorbed. However, it still follows the laws of energy. That is, energy is always conserved and can never, ever be destroyed. So all those times I was hitting you with those shockwaves from the Suiton Zanbato," he said with a smirk and even though blind, he matched the direction of his eyes with Itachi's, "The energy contained in the form of water chakra still moves around this room, circulating endlessly, until it finally dissipates into heat. But for as long as it circulates, you can call out that chakra any time to attack your opposition. Since we Uchiha are aligned to the Katon, it normally wouldn't be that easy to summon and control Suiton any way I wanted (not that it would be easy for any element without rigorous practice), but as long as I have my hands on this zanbato, all the Suiton elemental chakra flowing through this room will obey my commands. In the end, only those who not only fight on this ship but come to know it and trust it…"

**--X--**

_Can ever really know how to draw on its power!_

Member no. 2 of the Dusk Squad thought he was having the perfect day. First, he got to remain on this beautiful open-air dock and just admire the passing clouds of the bright orange-colored sky. He also supposed that the mission he was assigned would be perfectly easy; a real 'drop-in, drop-out' case without any real difficulties. Then, just a few moments ago, he laid eyes on the most beautiful girl he thought he ever saw in his entire life, one whose very strands of hair wavered in the wind like falling cherry blossoms. Her smile was radiant and seemed to produce some kind of unnatural warmth whenever he was about to witness it. What really would have been the perfect day, however, became nothing more than a routine assassination assignment. He hated to kill women, especially women as beautiful and full of spunk as her, but these were the orders of Akatsuki, so he had no right to object.

Now if only the pretty young thing wasn't complicating things by attacking him from all angles with such reckless power attacks. He dodged the punch she threw at him once more, and looked around, unsure of where she had disappeared to or where she was going to strike next. Suddenly, he felt a presence to his left; unsheathing his kunai, he meant to slice her in half, but there it was again. That move she kept using every time she tried to punch him and hit the ground instead. Sakura dragged her leathered fist along the ground and heaved the energy at the Dusk Squad member with full force.

"Verve ball!"

An encircling mass of chakra was somehow dragged out of the thick metal hull and heaved at him with her fist providing a medium for it to travel. The force was roughly equivalent to the infamous Rasengan of the Fourth Hokage and cut through his kunai, shattering the weapon into pieces. Member no. 2 jumped back several spaces and landed on top of the guard-rail, a comfortable distance away from the girl.

_She looks like a close-quarters fighter any way, so if I just get some distance from her, I'll be fine. _He was already getting ready for the first few stages of his rapidly forming plan when he spotted something heading at him. It looked almost like a blue blade of chakra, and had been thrown at him when Sakura dragged her leg along the hull in a semi-circular arc to perform a kick. With all the strength he could muster, he leapt out of the way and caught sight of the railing being sliced neatly into two.

"Well, well Ojo-san," said number 2 as he looked upon Sakura's face with a hidden smile. "Looks like you've invented a deadly skill."

"Verve Cross," said Sakura as she began to walk towards the Dusk Squad member with a smirk on her face. "Which ever one of my chakra-enhanced hits you've been dodging the entire fight is coming back to bite you in the ass."

"Hmm?" he said with a bit of a chuckle. _Haruno Sakura…Apprentice to the Godaime Hokage, and skilled medic Nin of Konohagakure… Said to be the most powerful in basic unarmed combat amongst the kunoichi of the new generation, but aside from that…An interesting personality. _"I'm not sure I get it. Care to elaborate for me?"

"Heh. With pleasure." Tapping the hull of the dock with her foot, Sakura began her explanation. "Using the basic principles of energy and chakra absorption, I found that it was possible upon having your chakra absorbed by a specific substance in a specific quantity to draw that chakra out again. By using the different aspects of chakra control, I can draw upon the chakra from whichever one of my missed shots and effectively throw it at you in any shape I wish. That slash of blue chakra that you just saw, which I call 'Verve Cross', is basically the utilization of the angular momentum of my leg in conjunction with the requisite amount of chakra absorption being used to 'drag' out the enhanced chakra within the ground beneath us. Not only that, but the more you evade, the more the chakra within the hull will grow and grow, making the subsequent attacks even more dangerous. And finally, please don't make the mistake of thinking that Verve Cross and Verve Ball are all the moves in my repertoire…"

_Chakra absorption? Energy conservation…Wait... _"Hold up…That chakra of yours is constantly circulating throughout his hull right? Then how is it that you're able to draw upon it if it's in a bunch of random directions at once?" _She could just be using ordinary chakra and trying to catch me off guard…Or maybe make me enter into a close fight with her so she doesn't build up any more of those' Verve' things…_

"I may be a major in biology," said Sakura as she tapped the side of her brain arrogantly, "But in the academy, my grades were always at the top. Since the time I first stepped onto this battleship to just several days ago, I've been developing a theory for how chakra circulates through this hull, taking into consideration the magnitude of the chakra, the thickness of the chakra absorbing fabric, the kinetic energy and velocity by which the chakra is moving through the hull and more. For me, physics, and just about everything else in this world, is nothing when I put my mind into it." Running towards the second member of the Dusk Squad with her arms at her sides, Sakura prepared for another attack. Her eyes furrowed as the distance between her and her target grew less.

_Darn it…Will it be a punch or a kick?_ The crash of Sakura's leg against the spot he was standing at five seconds before it impacted gave him his answer. _I've got you now, _he thought with triumph as a trio of ceramic scalpels emerged from his fingers like claws. He spun on his left foot to gain some extra balance and momentum for the strike and was close to slashing at her throat until he spotted her leg moving back up. The signature trail of blue chakra was being dragged by her right leg and was aimed at where he now stood.

_How fast can she find a flow of chakra anyway?! That was barely a few seconds! _Nonetheless, he stood his ground and waited for her attack to hit him. After that last Verve Cross she threw at him, he was able to analyze the chakra flowing through it immediately. But then of course he should; after all, he was probably one of the only people in the shinobi world who could analyze the flow of chakra using the exterior, shimmering waves of the substance rather than tracing the interior pathways of the human body, like the Byakugan or Sharingan did. With one swipe of his scalpels, he reduced Sakura's attack to mist.

Rearing his fist back and tightening it into a punch, he made several stabbing motions at the pink haired kunoichi, each of which she dodged with some difficulty. The slashes tore through her jacket's sleeves and trousers' pockets, and she was lucky for the training she received in dodging attacks. This left her with but a few surface scratches. Applying chakra to every sense of her body, Sakura flickered out of the masked warrior's range of attacking. She relaxed a little and examined her wounds.

_Nothing too serious, _she said to herself confidently albeit with all seriousness. "I've heard about you…You're that guy who can negate chakra using those little scalpels, right?"

"Heh? Seems I'm famous now. Yeah, that's me. Though the real talent lies in the eyes. I can detect just about any flow of chakra after a minute or so of careful observation…You say you have a lot of attacks in your arsenal right?" he said with a sneer. "Better hope one of them hits me sooner or later. Unless, you have an unlimited move-set or whatever…"

"How nice. I was kind of wondering what specific trick you use, but that doesn't matter." Sakura separated her legs a little, making sure that her right foot was behind her as she twisted her hips as far as the would go. "About you evading all my attacks…Why don't we put that to the test?" Dragging her leg along the ground, Sakura attracted a large amount of chakra and created a scythe-like arc of energy which she launched at her enemy using the required amount of momentum.

_Verve Cross? As if it'll do any good! _Using his scalpels, the Dusk Squad member intercepted and tore through Sakura's attack. He continued his run towards the Special Jounin, oblivious to what she was attempting next.

Using the momentum created by her right leg, she stomped the ground with her right foot, and sure that she had a stable footing, dragged her left leg on the ground to accumulate the required chakra. With a whirlwind-like motion, another arc of bluish, super-powered chakra was generated; however this one did not launch at her stampeding opponent. With both feet now firmly planted on the ground, her right being put before her left, Sakura dragged out a huge amount of chakra as she back-flipped. "Verve…

"Cross Grave!!" The two arcs of chakra joined together and upon combining kinetic energies, howled forth in the form of a cross to slice her enemy apart.

"What the…!"

The ground beneath his feet exploded. This time it seemed that the chakra was not reabsorbed into the hull of the open docking area. Sakura landed on one foot gracefully and looked at the clearing smoke. Beyond it, her opponent was breathing heavily, his arms forming a cross of their own in front of his body. The scalpels were now emerging from both of his hands, totaling to six ceramic scalpels. Member no. 2 looked at Sakura with some frustration; the wounds on her arms and on his forehead could certainly use some of her medical jutsu. Unfortunately, being the gentleman that he was, he was uncertain of asking for either a woman's help or her mercy during a fight. With a bit of a stagger and some effort to fight through the pain, he stood once more; he swallowed the soldier pill he had in hand at the time and felt some of his strength returning as soon as he felt some of the pain leaving his body.

_Shit…A cross? Who the hell does she think she is? An exorcist? But I think that I can guess her plan…She'll continually alter the flows of chakra for her attacks and since I'm not able to anticipate them, she'll slowly wear me down before finally closing in for the kill…I'll have to take a different approach here. If she can gauge the movement of the chakra in the metal ground beneath us, she must be able to predict where and in which spot the chakra will congregate. Using her perfect chakra control, she's also able to gauge just how much chakra would be required to pull the hull's chakra out. As it is, I'll have to neutralize her movements somehow, and then create an opportunity to fight her without any fear of her super-strength. _He slowly hefted his vest off, and let it fall to the floor. _Good thing I saw that blonde girl try this back in the Leaf. This will certainly help to scatter a large number of scalpels in a short amount of time…_

Upon pulling a metal cord out of his vest, number 2 heaved the clothing into the area above the centermost part of the docking area. Sakura heard a few of the fabrics unwinding inside, and suddenly realized that her attacker was attempting the same tactic as Ino was during one of their practice sessions. Using her past knowledge of the range of her friend's attack, Sakura jumped out of the way; the vest burst open with almost hundreds of ceramic scalpels emerging at once. The pink-haired kunoichi dodged the numerous projectiles that were being directed to her, oblivious to the number of scalpels being planted into the wide open space of the docking area. When it was all over and after she pulled out the scalpels that had been embedded in her shoulder, Sakura found that the scalpels had been covering nearly the entire area around her. Even worse, it seemed as though the Dusk Squad member had another trick up his sleeve. His kitana, previously sheathed, was now in full view, and he had a predatory look in his eyes.

"This is one of my prized possessions: My ceramic sword. It possesses the same chakra negating properties as the scalpels, only it's a whole lot tougher. I won't have to see the flow of chakra to be able to cut through your attacks, though its more for your weaker attacks then anything else. Let's see if we can't arrange another round of our little fight, Ojo-san."

"A ceramic sword, huh? Like a skilled surgeon earlier and now like a butcher cutting apart its prey?"

"Hmm, I wonder. You could say that, I suppose," said the man as he took a fighting stance making sure that the full length of his gleaming blade was facing Sakura.

"I'd like to ask you something…Every one of your techniques has to do with negating chakra…It also looks like you're unable to utilize chakra at all. This may not be my business, but why so much effort just so you can destroy something that is essential to every shinobi?" said Sakura with genuine curiosity. Indeed, it was her first time meeting someone who like Lee was not only unable to mold chakra for his use but didn't display any of the characteristics of one who had any to begin with.

"Essential to every shinobi? What a load of crap…" he said, which caused a vein to pop on Sakura's head. "Ojo-san, did you know? About a few hundred years ago, there was not a single shinobi who could utilize chakra. They relied on their own stamina, their intelligence and their skill with weapons to get the job done. Ever since the discovery of chakra, the playing field is unfairly tipped in the favor of those with the most. Whoever has the best control is considered talented. Whoever has the most is considered talented. A person who can utilize many jutsu and recompose chakra into elements is considered talented, but for people like me," he said, not with anger or hate but what appeared to be sadness, "People like me can only be considered as hard-workers as compared to people like you."

"People…like me?" repeated Sakura slowly.

"Hai. To me, any one who can utilize chakra is a genius, while any one who cannot is…Well, let's just say they have a harder time at playing survival of the fittest than your kind does…But be that as it may, I will accept," he said as he readied into a stance once more, "You as an equal opponent, since you display one of the most under-rated skills of a shinobi."

"That is?"

"Traps," he said amusingly. "This was all one big trap for me, wasn't it?"

"I wonder," said Sakura with some amusement of her own, as a playful smile came to her lips. She kneeled down and attracted a little bit of chakra using her fingers, after which she rose and pointed an index finger at her opponent. "Though we fight as equal shinobi, I won't blame you for whining if you lose. That is," she said as she smiled gently with her eyes closed, "If you promise me the same."

"Deal—"

"Verve Shot!" shouted Sakura, not waiting for her opponent to finish. An elongated shot of chakra shaped into a bullet-like projectile speeded towards the Dusk Squad member at the speed of sound. Shifting his hands, he managed to deflect the shot using his sword, effectively vaporizing it into mist. Suddenly, Sakura let loose with a multitude of chakra bullets, while member no. 2 sped towards her. Each of the bullets was deflected by his skillful yet elegant sword-play. Mindful of the closing distance between them, Sakura placed her palms on the ground and waited for the required chakra to build into the spot, and at the same time waiting for her opponent to get close enough for a point-blank shot. As the amount of energy in her palms reached critical status, the pink haired medic Nin jutted her hands and released the chakra built up in them, the words, 'Verve Blast' lost in the enormous explosion of force generated by the attack.

_Did I get him, _pondered Sakura with some exhaustion. As expected, the chakra behind the powerful attack had been returned to the hull. It was with some trepidation that she realized it would be moving at a higher speed than before inside the chakra absorbent material. _More speed means more heat generated…Which means it'll be dissipated much sooner. I have to hurry and finish this fight, before I both have no more chakra left in the hull or in my system. _For reasons unknown, she found herself thinking about Naruto and Sasuke, and how the separate occasions in which they both rescued her. She wondered what they would think about her little fight taking place. This was her first fight against a powerful foe all by herself. No Chiyo or Kakashi or Team 7 to support her. _Will I actually be able to win all on my own? _She only broke out of those stressful thoughts when the word 'win' popped into her mind. The cloud of smoke obscuring her view had now cleared, and there was neither hide nor hair of the Dusk Squad member's body anywhere. Only her astute senses as an apprentice of Tsunade managed to tell her of the three scalpels heading toward her face. Pulling her head back, they grazed by her cheek, deeply cutting into the flesh on the surface.

Not wanting to waste time in standing against the volley of projectiles, Sakura moved to the next point where she was sure she could drag out some excess chakra to use in a ranged attack. Her opponent sensed this and continued to heave scalpels at her feet, making sure she followed an exact and calculated path. As soon as Sakura stopped in a specific place, he realized his opportunity and threw a scalpel at the exact same momentum when she was readying for a more powerful Verve Cross. The sharpness of the object pierced her foot with terrifying timing; Sakura screamed with pain before moving whatever chakra she managed to drag out into her hands.

"Verve Windmill!" A bluish windmill blade emitted from her hand and made its way to her opponent in a spiraling fashion. One sword slash was enough to dispose of it, but Sakura was already making her way to the next point. With a victorious smirk, member no.2 readied a few more scalpels.

_She's already increased her speed using chakra just so she can prevent the scalpels from piercing her body. Every time she reaches a point, I'll give her a chance to take a little chakra out before scaring her into moving onto the next point. The timing will always be perfect enough to allow that. Once her chakra runs out, _he interrupted himself as he threw some scalpels at her hand that just barely managed to attract a little chakra for a second. She withdrew her hand from the spot quickly and started to sprint to the next spot. He prepared three more scalpels in each hand for whatever she would try next. _She'll lose the ability to fight._

Sakura was already starting to suffer the effects of blood loss. Healing her wounds wouldn't have been a bad idea but she couldn't afford to waste any chakra at the moment. Whatever was left had to be used for the final attack. After literally running in circles around her opponent, the Special Jounin halted in her 8th spot and faced member no. 2. By her calculations, she had had about 1-2 seconds in each of her spots, adding to a total of about 7-14 seconds before she arrived at her latest position. Her enemy was still waiting for her to make a move as he stood with his scalpels poised and ready to strike. Sakura smirked and readied a small sphere of chakra in her left hand.

_Huh? So…she was collecting chakra from each of those points, one bit at a time just so she could create another verve ball to use against me? How intuitive. However, this really is the end for you, Haruno-san. _"I've gotten a little tired of your running around…Can't we just settle this with your surrender?"

"I don't know," said Sakura her sarcasm beginning to rise. "I mean, I _did _put in whole lot of effort in to create this last ditch attempt of mine, so it would be kind of weird if I didn't put up some kind of foolish heroic resistance. Don't you agree?"

"Ah, right. Very well then," he said as he sheathed his blade, his fingers still staying on the hilt. He used his free hand to beckon Sakura. "Come on then."

The teenage cherry blossom smirked once more before rushing at member no. 2; the pain in her foot was getting to be unbearable, and she was still skeptical about the wounds in her left shoulder. Not to mention the multitude of cuts she had incurred on her arms and legs and that stinging pain on her left cheek that was still leaking blood. But none of that mattered as she thrust her hand with all her speed and aimed the Verve Ball within her grasp into the solar plexus of her enemy. He stood resilient, waiting for the right time. As the two fighters stood off, it was clear that only one would survive the encounter…

Sakura made her pass. Member no. 2 had also made his move. She stood there, stationary as he quietly sheathed his sword once more. The wind blew calmly, ruffling through Sakura's hair and the sound whistling through the cracks in the Dusk Squad member's spherical mask. A result was made, and was about to be declared.

The pink-haired kunoichi rubbed her stomach tightly, trying her best to detect that greasy substance against her jacket. She had seen blood many times as a doctor, but she still wasn't used to seeing it pouring forth from her own stomach. She still had the scar from 3 years ago when she had been stabbed clean through the abdomen by Sasori of the Red Mist. However, there was no Chiyo to help her this time. No Kakashi or Naruto or Team 7 to come to her rescue. In the end, was she truly able to win on her own?

"Rest assured that I missed your vital areas," said the number. 2 as he turned to face the kneeling girl. "I don't want to kill you. I can't let you interfere in my mission either. But since you're a part of my mission that brings us to a stalemate. Aside from that particular discrepancy, its your loss, Ojo-san."

On learning that it was not a fatal wound, Sakura began emergency treatment on her stomach as soon as possible and as discreetly as possible. A little blood leaked out of her mouth but she still found the courage to speak, regardless of her opponent's stand or the state she was in. "I guess…in the end, your hate for chakra was stronger than my knowledge…right?"

"I wonder. Yeah. I suppose so."

"Baka…"

_What?_

After continuing her treatment with her left hand, Sakura raised her right hand, revealing a long blue line of chakra that extended from all the different spots that she was moving from. In effect, it created a net-like structure that enclosed member no.2 within its reaches. And the skilled kunoichi was well outside it's deadly range.

_No…How did she…Wait…Could it be that…_

"When I was running around from one chakra gathering area to another, it seemed that I was gathering chakra for a Verve Ball. However, right after the first time when the scalpel hit my foot, I realized how useless any of the conventional attacks would be. And since you weren't giving me any time to make a larger Verve attack, I decided to try this, the Verve Whip…"

"You can't honestly tell me that…"

She wiped her mouth after the treatment had been finished and with her back kept to him, shifted her head a little to look at his surprised reaction. "Yeah. All that time I was running around…I was dragging chakra along my feet, creating this little line that would only become visible when I decided to pull it out from the hull. You're surrounded, and there's no way to escape. I appreciate you showing some mercy to me; unfortunately, this is only the beginning for what I have in mind to put you through right now." From one of her pockets, Sakura took out a kunai laced with an exploding tag. "Oh, and one other thing I forgot to tell you about in my little theory: Chakra Resonance."

_Resonance? What in the—_

"When you find the correct spot where chakra is gathered in an absorbent, you can either 'drag' it out or you can cause it to resonate. Dragging it out means applying the same amount of chakra from your own partial absorption to the hull in order to form a specific attack. However, if you take a highly unequal chakra source and make it collide with the chakra absorbed in the hull, resonance occurs. In layman's terms, you get a shockwave that moves outwards and then applies its full force back inwards. Now, if you would like to run, I suggest you do it now…" she said as she planted the exploding kunai into the ground where the Verve Whip began.

The ensuing resonating tremors rumbled the entire docking area and shattered the numerous scalpels that had resided within the fighting area. It was bad enough that he had no where else to go but up. However, the speed of the resonance was so great that he wasn't even lifted into the air with all of his own momentum. The pain ran through his entire body, starting from his spine; subconsciously he knew that he was playing into Sakura's plan, but not being able to do anything about it didn't exactly fit into his counter-attack.

Nevertheless, as he remained suspended in the air, he never thought that with her assumed speed Sakura would be able to reach up and there and attack him. However, he failed to count on the one move that all powerful Leaf shinobi knew and which he had now fallen victim too.

The pink-haired kunoichi was now behind him, muttering the words 'Leaf Shadow Dance' as she readied her combo. Before she could even attempt any hits though, the young man activated two pairs of three-pronged ceramic blades hidden in his gauntlets and slashed at her in mid-air, using the free-fall to add a little spin to his attack. One slash, two slashes and then finally three—something was being torn apart, but when he laid eyes on her body, he could only make out her smiling transparent visage

_Bunshin no Jutsu!_ _But…then, what exactly have I been…? _

He took a closer look at his surroundings; little bits of pink and black paper were floating around him. He looked up to see Sakura's jacket open and all the small little chakra notes spilling out from the inner pockets. He discovered their true nature when he realized what was written on the little scraps: the kanji for the word 'explosive'.

_Impossible! A Body Flicker couldn't possibly get some one that high up!_

"Sakura Blizzard no Jutsu!" said the pink-haired ninja. A lighter in her hands completed the nightmare that member no. 2 was about to experience. The small ember of fire passed by the Dusk Squad member and lit up the neighboring explosive notes, causing a chain reaction to occur. A scream emanated throughout the docking area, one that made Sakura cringe.

Sakura applied chakra to her feet, similar to the way she powered up her kicks and punches and released it just as she landed. She returned to ground level and took a quick look around before falling on both of her knees, as they shook from the pain. _That Verve Leap took a lot more out of me than I thought…Didn't think using resonance on my own body to get that high up would hurt so much_. The fact that his corpse or any of its remains could not be seen only meant her opponent wasn't down for the count just yet. From the corner of her eye, she managed to see the hangar door a little open from earlier. There was no doubt that he had escaped there but she was beginning to debate if she should go after him or not. In his injured state, how much more harm could he do to any one?

A small smile returned to Sakura's face as she laid back and relaxed, basking in the glory of her first solo victory against an enemy of Konoha. She wondered if how her team-mates would react, since she was still unsure if her attack was a little too much overkill.

_Shannaro…I'm becoming less like a woman with every passing battle, _she thought with another smile before she dozed off.

**--X--**

_Found you._

_Shit. Shit. Shit. She was much more powerful than I gave her credit for… Must have been that damn Sharingan Kakashi who analyzed our individual skills before the fight. It must have been all his plan to pit people that can trump our skills against us, _thought member no.2 as he winced with the number of burns he had received. _Well, at least she won't accuse me of being rude if I complain to her. _The pain was smarting enough but he still found himself daydreaming about his opponent. He settled down behind some crates next to the warehouse entrance, half-resting and half-prepared to catch Sakura off-guard should she try to follow and finish the job. Maybe that's why he hadn't noticed the figure in purple approaching him from the shadows, literally fixated on the scalpels he had in his hands.

_Finally found you…After all this time…_

The man laughed and turned to her. "Well, doesn't seem like you Konoha Nin are gonna go easy on me…You could at least mask your presence better," he said as he shifted his gaze to the dark-haired girl in purple standing before him. "Another female? Heh…Almost reminds me of that Hyuuga girl—" He heaved a few scalpels at her but she dodged with little to no effort. Member no.2 was a bit alarmed at first, and then he realized just who was standing before him. He thought he finished Hanabi on the monument but it looked as though she still had the gift of sight. Something about her was different though…Something almost…inhuman…

He suddenly grasped his arm in pain.

_What in the world?! I…I can't move my arm! Is this…Jyuuken?!_

Before he could successfully complete that thought, his arm felt even funnier.

_What is this strange feeling? And why is it hurting so much?_

His arm was practically swelling up, exceeding its normal proportions until finally, it exploded from the inside. He clutched what was left of his misfortunate limb with pain, the blood gushing out in ample liters of dark red. Hanabi stepped forward a little more, and brushed her hair back so as to reveal her right eye. Member no. 2 screamed in horror, much to the sadistic smile that was forming on her face.

This was indeed what she wanted. The rules of honor amongst shinobi be damned—this man was the one responsible for costing her her right eye and nearly endangering her entire vision. All because they thought of her and her family as nothing more than objects that stood in their way for their mission. Thoughts of these beasts laying a hand on her precious father and elder sister only caused the hot-blooded Hyuuga to clench her teeth in anger.

"_What the…" she said as she got up from the hospital bed. _

_She shouldn't have been able to…but for some reason she could see. _

_Hanabi placed a hand over her right eye, feeling the scar that was left in its place. She looked around the room a little—a few nurses were passing by, some oblivious to the fact that she was already awake. Through her eyes, she could spot their chakra pathways, flowing with color as always. However, something didn't seem normal with her right eye. For some reason, it wasn't synching well with her left. It wasn't noticing the minute footsteps of the different doctors and nurses; wasn't telling her who moved with a slight limp and who had just had their chest repaired. It felt different... when she watched a patient being patched; it felt like all the details were being etched into her mind to be stored for future use. She was scared now…_

_Why can I see where is everyone is heading to? Why can I tell which nurse is attending to which patient? Why can I tell that some one is going to reach for a glass of water in the next two seconds, or that a mother is going to cry over the loss of her eldest son in the next three?_

_Why can I predict people's movements?_

_There had been darkness soon after. She couldn't remember when she had fallen asleep, that sweet respite that all shinobi in Konoha received from their maddening musing. The room she was now in was totally dark—nothing lit it up at all. From the pitch black void, a voice called out to her._

"_What is your dream?"_

_She found herself subconsciously trying to find the answer to that question, without even asking who she was addressing. The painkillers must still be having an effect, she thought, as she flet herself getting more and more light-headed._

"_I already know the answer…Do you?"_

_It was odd why dead people who she wished she could bring back to life were suddenly appearing before her and dancing and singing like life in the afterlife was child's play. Amongst those people, her memories started to mix. For some reason, her dear sister's body lying lifeless in the middle of the Konoha Stadium after her Chuunin exam several years ago made her jealous; how much she had wanted to be the one lying there, unconscious, yet subject to all the ovation, all the praise, all the applause and more importantly, the smile of her father. Across from her, she could see Hinata being caned several times during training by her father for not being able to learn a specific jutsu. At the tender age of five and peering through the sliding door, she was told by her accompanying Branch household member about how she would be entering the dojo the next day. The great Hyuuga Hizashi, the most excellent clan leader that Hyuuga had ever seen, had great expectations from her, and she should be able to live up to them. _

"_To protect your family, and your friends and your village and your clan's honor…"_

_But as much as she wanted to, in the middle of that circus of human lives and experiences, she couldn't stop noticing a certain boy staring at her. The funny thing was, he had been standing next to her the whole time. His looks unnerved her—what was it with those white eyes of his? That's all she ever saw…white. And nothing else. She was a female ninja for crying out loud—hadn't any one ever thought of purple or blue or pink? Why, in her life, was she always trapped in white? But this kid was interesting…he had been draped in gray from the beginning, since she knew him for a very long time (despite not wanting to look at his face). He always dressed in an off-white shirt, and always wore those brown shorts. She felt that she could like this guy—even if he was kind of hostile towards her. _

"_You want to become stronger…"_

_Great, she thought with trepidation. There he was again, and he was dressed in, of all the damn things in the world, white. The sash on his waist caught her attention, since it was black. She had never thought about it, but she never saw a single Hyuuga ever wear as much black with their white. Those white robes had to be spotless after all. Then slowly, she felt tears come to her eyes. He smiled upon meeting eyes with her. Those eyes she was so sick of—he no longer had them in his sockets. He no longer had a reason to live, at least according to her, so then why was he smiling?_

"_You want to be able to take control of destiny with your own hands…"_

_Why was he smiling when he had no reason to be alive, let alone call himself a Hyuuga?!_

"_You want something precious to fight for…"_

_For God's sake…_

"_You want…"_

_Why the hell is he so happy?!_

"_To be free."_

_For the first time in what felt like hours, she screamed. The shrieking echoed off of the walls. She screamed about the man before her being responsible for giving her this cursed eye. She screamed about the battle on the monument that she lost without even putting up much of a fight. She screamed for being an insignificant little woman, just like before, when her sister would ascend the peak and become Clan Leader while she would be relegated to being nothing more than just replacement should any thing happen to her. To be living proof that something may, would, could or should happen to her Nee-san, and that she would be there to assume responsibility once she was dead and buried was a painful feeling. But despite all these little pains, she cried for the one person who she ever really came to like. Hinata looked up to him as an elder brother, but she always treated him like he was a normal relative of hers. Yet she could never stop that feeling of peace she felt whenever he offered to train her, out of kindness more than obligation, and taught her again and again how to use a specific technique, no matter how many times she got it wrong. One last scream escaped her throat for the one friend she ever had in all her years in the Hyuuga, and for the fact that he was never going to come back._

_Rubbing the tears from her eyes, Hanabi stood up and looked at the man before her._

"_Did this used to belong to you?" she said, pointing to her right eye._

"_Yeah," he answered calmly._

"_Do you know how to use it?"_

_He lips curved into a smile; she thought she saw something odd, like his shadow changing or something into that of someone she knew, but she quickly forgot about it when the tranquilizers in her blood started to wear off. "Like a pro."_

_Hanabi looked at his face, her will dominating every sense of his body still open for utility. "Please…Teach me."_

"How do you like them now…" The words were barely audible, but for now, he was too scared to even care. He regretted going against his nindo and harming a girl, a creature whom he worshipped in the form of his dear mother and sister who died long ago in his arms. He was ashamed that he treated her like just another victim in the on-going war agasint Akatsuki. This was divine retribution for sure. But this was his shinobi way of death—leaving the world as nameless and faceless as when he first joined the Dusk Squad.

"Well?"

She asked once more as her lips pursed together happily and her teeth grinded against each other with gratification.

"HoW dO yOu lIke My EyEs NoW?!"

As the Mangekyou Sharingan blazed angrily in her right eye, she smiled once more and laughed sadistically. Tears could be seen flowing down her left eye, as if the only thing she had left to remind her of who she was before was regretting what she was about to do next.

**--X--**

"So the famous Copy Ninja Kakashi Hatake…I thought I wouldn't have a chance to test your skills," said member no. 1 of the Dusk Squad as he crossed blades with Kakashi again. The two former ANBU matched Body Flicker speeds perfectly, neither letting up in their analysis of their opponent or in their pursuit for an opening. Despite his Raiton elemental recomposition, Kakashi found that his opponent's blade wasn't breaking. The Sharingan in his left eye revealed the inner secrets of the blade—a chakra absorbent. He exchanged slashes with his opponent once more before they landed on opposite sides facing each other's backs.

"Seems you figured out my kitana," said the masked fighter, as he stood up and cracked a few of the muscles in his neck. He pivoted hi head a little towards the Konoha Jounin and continued. "I heard elemental recomposition is the 'in-thing' for the Leaf nowadays, so I came prepared."

"Funny," said Kakashi nonchalantly as he met him eye to eye. "Wonder if you and your squad considered the same thing when you tried to take that little girl's eye-sight away."

"Ah…You must be referring to Hyuuga Hanabi… She was a troublesome fighter; her mastery of Jyuuken notwithstanding, her intelligence, cunning and ingenuity makes her a very strong Chuunin… I should have known you'd figure out it was me. That Sharingan of yours can predict many things. However, as powerful as it is," he said as he turned around and oriented his sword in front of him, making sure the tip was placed on top of his left wrist and aimed at Kakashi. "It won't be enough against me."

"Is that so…" Kakashi tightened his hands around his kitana and placed it right next to his head with the blade aiming skyward.

Both shinobi started to circle each other, their steps scraping against the solid metal noiselessly. Suddenly, they rushed at each other with the Dusk Squad member alternating his steps and Kakashi calculating the relative opposite of each of them, hence making a superior movement pattern. The enemy's blade was thrust at his throat but Kakashi simply shifted his head to the side and moved his own sword smoothly along the edge to limit the enemy's chances of following up. The decisive attack was coming at the end of the balancing; his enemy withdrew his sword at the exact moment the Copy Ninja was poised to disable the tendons in his thighs. His blade was stopped by an unexpected weapon. The Dusk Squad member was now on one foot, blocking Kakashi's strike with all the might that his other foot could muster. Kakashi took out a wakizashi from the shetah attached to the back of his waist and stopped the enormous force of the enemy kitana.

"A chakra absorbing blade hidden in the tip of your boot…Interesting counter," said Kakashi as he met his opponent eye-to-eye before teleporting away. He stood erect and crossed both blades in front of him. "It's kind of funny…I heard each Dusk Squad member had their own special niche talent…A skill so rarely used yet honed to such perfection that it trumped almost all others. I wonder what yours could be, though."

"About the girl," he said, ignoring Kakashi completely as he spoke his mind, "Hyuuga Hanabi…I think I should tell you that we were not to be executing her…She was only debilitated for posing a problem to our original mission."

"Right…Sure she was," said Kakashi, his Sharingan still keeping a fixed view on his opponent, making sure that he wouldn't make any sudden movements.

"But imagine how bad I felt on knowing that we took an unnecessary action…If only our target stayed at her location…"

"That's basically what it is to you guys, right? Eliminating a source of strength like Hyuuga for the village of Konoha and watching us fall trying to survive in the aftermath."

At this, the shinobi snickered. "Yes, that's totally right. As if you people put up that much of a resistance to begin with. Regardless, I just want you, a fellow ANBU and elite, to know the truth. But then…why don't we make a contest out of it?"

"Sounds good I guess. Though, like you, I'm doing this on hire. So even I won't go easy on you for the sake of information." _This guy is not too bad…I wonder how every one else is faring. _That was one of the main problems with fighting the Dusk Squad—no one member was stronger than the other. In terms of physical fitness and intellect, they were each alike. So there was no question of the Konoha 6's strongest warrior, namely Kakashi, being matched up with the Dusk's strongest. Luckily, he managed to view a few of their skills earlier on the Hokage monument; hopefully this information would help them come out on top.

"Of course," said number 1, orienting his blade and pointing it straight at Kakashi. "Come, Hatake."

The masked Jounin didn't need the invitation. Applying as much charka into his system as possible, he disappeared from a plain sight with the sound of 'soru' emanating through the air and reappeared next to the Dusk Squad member. The cross-slash combining both the Lightning Recomposition of chakra and the power of a kitana and a wakizashi tore through his opponent who disappeared into a puff of smoke on contact. Kakashi immediately raised his foot up to kick his opponent in the mask, throwing him off balance right after he missed stabbing his back. The Jounin, seeing his opponent stagger only a little, rammed his head into the mask, making a small crack, before grabbing his enemy's weapon arm and heaving him forwards.

"Big mistake."

Kakashi felt a sharp pain emanating through his right shoulder; the same shoulder he was using to throw his opponent. The slack in his strength preceded a small cry of pain, as the Dusk Squad member landed on his feet. Before he had time to react, the masked fighter ran at him with a shoulder tackle into his chest. Another pricking feeling was felt, but using his superior senses, the Leaf Jounin was able to back up and minimize the damage done to his chest. Blood now dripped from just next to his right lung while the dregs from his shoulder started to flow down his arm. A sword slash aimed at his head had Kakashi using both of his weapons to block. He was quick to begin moving his head back before his opponent's knee thrust could connect with his chin; however, he felt the lower portion of his mask being cut into so fast that even his Sharingan eye was caught by surprise. He boosted his chakra determinedly and flickered out of sight to a higher floor. Signs of a battle taking place on the roof of the Hokage's suite distracted him for a bit before he turned his attention back unto his foe. Balancing themselves on the opposite poles of red beacons, the two assassination experts faced each other once more. Kakashi carefully touched the cut on his chin and retracted his hand in pain.

_Despite not even bearing the full brunt of the blade, the cut was still deep. As expected from a member of the legendary killing squad._

"Hidden blades contained in different parts of your clothing—a good strategy, but not one that I'll be caught by again," said Kakashi as he sheathed his wakizashi, and clutched his injured right shoulder while holding onto his kitana.

"Indeed. I hate that aspect of the Sharingan. Being able to memorize just about anything, be it maps, tactics, jutsu and strategic positions…It's only obvious you would be able to counter my hidden blades if they were contained within my gear, but," he said as he raised his hand up. The Copy Ninja's eyes furrowed as he witnessed the sheer grotesqueness of his enemy's move. A small blade, the same one that had been used to attack Kakashi again, slowly moved out through the flesh of the Dusk Squad member, his hand twitching from the pain. "Following my hidden blades is much harder when I hide them in my skin, and move them throughout my body to attack at different points. What's more, using the different shape and curvacity of my bones, I can increase the speed and power of my attacks in a moment's notice. Attacking by circulating my blade throughout my body isn't the only thing I can do with this particular technique.."

"I see. And if it weren't for all the steroids and chemicals you take, the pain and blood loss would be fatal to you. But then, any other person would be unable to be able to use that technique with the speed and skill you've displayed thus far, especially being able to maneuver the blade around your vital organs," said Kakashi as he stood erect. His Sharingan eye revealed all the different pathways of his opponent's body. Since the chakra system was a muddled sea of blue due to the drugs he was on, he knew that would have a tough fight ahead. However, even tougher would be predicting where the blade was going to protrude from his body next, since the technique either didn't require chakra or it was indistinguishable in the mess that was now moving throughout his body. "It seems I can no longer be complacent in this battle."

"I already know all about your techniques, Hatake. Your Raikiri, your Mangekyou Sharingan…And I know how to counter them as well," he said, readying his blade again.

"Let's find out if that's the truth," said Kakashi as he dropped his sword and began to concentrate chakra into his right palm. The bluish energy twisted and surged, crackling as it converted into the Lightning sword that formed the basis for the attack. He looked at his foe who had not wasted any time and leapt at him from the opposite pole. Not daunted by the challenge, Kakashi intercepted him in mid-air, his hand thrust out, ready to cut through his sword and pierce his heart. "Raikiri!!"

The Dusk Squad member and the Copy Ninja of Konoha were suspended in air for some time, with the powerful chakra absorbent composing the former's blade and the unstoppable blade of nature contained in the latter's hand caught in a deadlock. Kakashi eyed his opponent for a split second, before pushing even harder. However, something unexpected that made caused Kakashi to widen his eyes in surprise. The enormous force occurring between him and his enemy fanned out in the form of strong gusts as they bypassed each other and landed on the poles once more. He hadn't lost his focus for a second and looked down at the hand that had attacked. The Raikiri was still active, only it looked less powerful than before; if anything, it looked to be exactly half the size it had been before.

"Just perfect," said member one as he tossed away his cracked blade and looked towards Kakashi. For an instant he felt a bit dizzy but shook it off and shifted into a fighting stance. He leapt once more at Kakashi, his hands to his sides as he readied a swinging overhead kick to connect with the side of his skull.

Kakashi knew the advantage was his. Applying more power to his Raikiri, he waited until he could avoid his opponent's move and then cleave his body into two. But when his enemy was but a few breaths away, he felt a pain in his right hand. This caused him to drop his guard and clutch it with pain. The sensation was similar to that of a knife seemingly being pulled out of his blood-stream, through all the bone and tissue and emerging through his flesh. In another second, he felt number 1's kick zero in on his head; the impact caused his body to fall all the way to the open-air balcony where the two were originally fighting. With the help of a little chakra and extensive straining of his leg muscles, the masked ninja managed to land somewhat safely.

"My technique allows me to not only emit a blade from any part of my body," said the Dusk Squad member as he landed safely before Kakashi. "When I make physical contact with a foe, I can project the blade into his flesh and control it with chakra so as to tear him up from the inside. It's a useful technique for those who think they can beat an opponent with simple speed and strength or by relying on cunning. What do you think, Hatake?" He looked carefully at Kakashi, who was still lying on his knees, clutching his hand. This caused the young man to smirk as he raised his hand up. "How about I fragment the blade into several small pieces and control each individually? I could cause severe internal bleeding and you would die wrenching your own blood, or from being suffocated by it from the inside. The options are endless," he said, but this didn't elicit a response from the Copy Ninja either. He simply stayed like that, on one knee, not moving and no longer clenching his right wrist. As the silver haired Jounin revealed his face slowly, the Dusk Squad member was a bit taken aback.

_H-His... His mask is gone, _he mentally asserted, looking upon the bare chin and cheekbones of his foe. Just then Kakashi's left Sharingan eye began to swirl, alternating from clockwise to counter-clockwise cycles. The clouds in the sky grew dark and for some reason, the Akatsuki Nin was overcome with a sudden intense feeling of fear. _What the hell is going on?! _Kakashi raised his head even more, and smiled—the multitude of fangs in his mouth glistened hungrily. However there was a slight bulge in his throat. The Jounin opened his mouth wide, wider than any normal human was capable of even attempting and the Dusk Squad member recoiled in horror at the multi-fanged and grotesque beast that popped out. Claws poised, it wriggled its body a little and flung itself at its meal with a sadistic smile, its face becoming that of a weasel ANBU mask.

_No! Not that!! NOOO!!_

It all abruptly stopped. All the fear, all the anxiety…The clouds reverted back to their normal white hues and moved about innocently, oblivious to the battles taking place. The monster that had supposedly leapt at him was gone as well. Kakashi was no longer kneeling before him in an injured state, either. He was now standing a few feet away from his opponent, his right palm crackling with electricity that eventually died down as he turned to look around. The Dusk Squad member opened his eyes weakly, and felt an immense pain in his lower limbs. Whatever below his knee-caps that could have qualified as his legs had been lopped off, and the blood was now emptying out. Thanks to the enhancements, it wasn't excruciating, but he definitely wasn't gonna be proclaiming how pain-resistant he was in the future for sure. Placing one hand over his mask, he removed the spherical shell and revealed his face to Kakashi who hadn't moved from his spot.

"Genjutsu…huh," he said, getting weaker with each passing second. His light blue eyes met the sky, as he contemplated about his other team-mates. "I don't want to ask but tell me how anyway…"

"That time when I cracked your mask," said Kakashi as he looked upon the defeated man's red-haired visage with relative calm. "I noticed that you injected your little blade into my system," he said as he raised his left hand and dropped the bloodied knife to the ground before continuing, "And worked my Raiton chakra up to the point where I came at you with Raikiri to get it out. The second our visions met during our little stand-off is when I caught you."

"Ha…Is that right…But then, why didn't you use the opportunity to kill me?"

"Hmm," said Kakashi lazily, "Don't know. Maybe 'cause I wanted to have a little chat with you before you met your demise? I guess that could qualify as a reason, couldn't it?"

The man weakly laughed a little. The reputation that Kakashi had obtained as being a skilled warrior who had copied over a 1000 jutsu was known far and wide, but the sense of humor he was displaying was more worth the mission. "Well, since you put it that way, why don't I give you your reward for winning the fight…To pass the time until I die?"

"Yes. Just to pass the time, of course," said Kakashi as he pocketed his hands and covered his Sharingan with his forehead protector.

"I spoke of the truth…You'll only get what I know of that though…The mission we had when we first arrived in Konoha…The Dusk Squad's mission…It has its origins in something else altogether…The plan to eliminate the major clans and factions in the shinobi world was a ruse…In many respects…"

"A ruse?"

"While assignments were given to all our powerful shinobi to wipe out those who threatened Akatsuki directly…The truth is, it was merely the basis for a cover-up…One that we leaked out to the ninja world in the form of a fake plan to kill all the major clans and factions so that our organization faced no threat in the future… Just so no one would get suspicious of the fact that we were all working towards making sure of one person's death without any inquiries or interferences in the Leader's main plan…We never came to Konoha to annihilate the Hyuuga alone…It was meant to signify the day that Akatsuki's target would finally die…That was the planned day for when we would strike at the Hyuuga to get to our target…"

"If that's the case…If you weren't after the Hyuuga…Then Itachi didn't kill his clan because they posed a threat to Akatsuki…And the Seven Swordsmen weren't defeated by their own member…If that's all the case, then why did Hyuuga Neji die? Why was he killed?"

"Hyuuga Neji…" said the Dusk Squad member momentarily. "Strange how the death of one man under circumstances could help the higher-ups to concoct that fake plan…

"As far as I know, he died simply because he interfered in another one of Akatsuki's plans…That involved the capture of the Tailed Beasts…"

_Killing him merely because he discovered something relating to the Bijuu? _

"A gruesome death I heard, at the hands of no less than Uchiha-sama…But they had to hide the fact of their discovery…It was said at the time that the vessel for this specific Tailed Beast was special, because she not only had good control over her powers, but she could release them fully with no alterations to her health or mental state. They say she's the only Jinchuuriki to have fully synched with her Bijuu and is able to access its immense chakra perfectly…Not only that, but she's even been under training by Akatsuki…So that she could be used to combat Kyuubi vessel when the time was necessary…"

"So, just because Neji found out about their secret weapon, he was put to death?"

"Of course…not…Hyuuga Neji, apparently, was trying to bring the Jinchuuriki back against Akatsuki's will…"

_That makes even less sense, _thought Kakashi mentally. If he had known that there would be this many details to the truth, he would've neutralized his opponent rather than killed him. "Why would Neji be motivated to do such a thing? He, more than most people, knows the power of Akatsuki first-hand…"

"Because…The Jinchuuriki that was held captive in the country of the Lightning…The woman who is the Leader's personal slave…The one who houses the power of the Hacchibi…Is a shinobi of Konohagakure...A woman by the name of…"

The Akatsuki ninja spoke her name. It was only then that Kakashi realized the full gravity of his misjudgment. As he made to sprint away with thoughts of his entire world collapsing around him, his defeated foe called out to him one last time.

"Hey Hatake…When you…" he said weakly, "When you cracked my mask, was that part of your strategy…or was it just dumb luck?"

Kakashi, almost forgetting about his wish to honor the young man's life and caught up in his desires to revisit his past, stopped and spoke. His tone sounded nonchalant but it was less lazy and more iron-clad in its verbal pattern. "Maybe both…Who knows…"

The Dusk Squad member smiled once more before closing his eyes and letting the last of his blood drain from his body. The Copy Ninja gave his last respects to a fellow ANBU warrior, but for once, he was seriously contemplating why he took on the mission to fight against the Dusk Squad. For his failure to protect young kunoichi like Hanabi and Ino—was it to rectify that once and for all? Was he doing this for the great village that he called Konohagakure?

However, now was not the time for self-introspection, as he increased his speed using chakra while making sure that he still had a good amount left for the encounter that was to come.

**--X--**

_No pain. That is what I feel now._

Her brown hair fluttered a little as she looked out at the Haven.

_Nee-san said it would be a better idea if I just flickered next to it, rather than going with the main forces through the front. _The massive size of the air-ship dwarfed her little body. She could make out traces of a battle that just concluded on top where the docking area would be. Putting a hand on her chest, she closed her eyes.

Memories. Numerous memories were moving through her head at light speed. Memories of loved ones; memories of pain; memories of her time in the Cloud before Itachi and Kisame came to rescue her…It was the last thought that stuck in her head. Subjected to a large amount of torture that she could never forget. She still remembered when they cut off her fingers one by one on a weekly basis to check and recheck her regeneration status. Those times when they injected all those steroids to induce her to enter a berserker state before releasing her into some moderately populated area to observe her destructive potential and her suspension of reasoning as a Jinchuuriki were also fresh. So much pain and so much torment she both inflicted and undertook…All for the sake of that creature they put into her. The one thing that nagged her day and night, hour after hour, second after second, to kill. To put each and every one of those humans out of their misery before consuming their innards.

The Hacchibi. The Eight Tails of the nine Bijuu, whose strength was second only to the Kyuubi no Kitsune.

Thinking about nice things always helped her to silence it. Those times she spent with Itachi in that beautiful world with the red moon were very memorable, as were those times when she and Hinata slept in the same bed, her "elder sister's" arms wrapped around her as she hummed a soft lullaby to help her sleep. Sometimes, though, she would see other things. Things that weren't a hundred percent familiar. She saw herself when she was but a teen. That man who she always liked…who always hid his face with a mask and who was always so cold to her. Until that day when he saved her, and for the first time, acknowledged her as not only an important comrade but one of his most precious people. Then there was her other friend—always goofy, always crying, yet strong-hearted and courageous when it came to protecting his friends. Another man with long blonde hair and a wide smile that was like the sun shining down on her when ever she was sad was also present; someone whom she admired and looked upto as…as…

"Sensei…"

A tear escaped from her eye as she continued to look at the Haven with a slowly quivering lower lip.

"Kakashi…Obito…"

The memories of those three flashed in her mind once again. The chakra within her began to leak out and with contorted, slit-like eyes of grey, she raised her head up to the Haven.

"Who are you people?"

Everything was gone at that instant.

No more smiling faces or hands caressing her soft head as sweet angels lulled her to slumber with their songs. No more painful memories or bouts of panic preceding a nervous breakdown. No more nightmares that required liters of sedatives to put to rest.

Only one thing mattered to her at the time.

Killing.

Killing Uzumaki Naruto. That was the one thing she had been entrusted with; the one thing only she could do.

She swore she heard her herself crying a while ago, and muttering some strangers' names. And the words she could barely make out at the end…'Gomen ne', was it…? For her, at that moment, it didn't matter.

At the age of about 31 years and as a missing medic Nin from Konoha…It didn't matter.

For Rin, none of it mattered at all.

**--X--**

_The stage had been set. Deidara and Kisame would enter from the topmost floor, where the infirmary was located and take out any of the shinobi who were still injured. Not being at full power meant they wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight. A heartless tactic, but then Hinata wasn't the leader because of her merciful demeanor. If you were going to eliminate the opposition, you had to work from the ground up, moving from the weaker sections to the stronger shinobi. After painfully disposing of their victims, the two would move towards the bridge to intercept the two legendary Sannin. Control of the docking area would be handled by the Dusk Squad. Once they did a proper recon of the area, they could capture any important choke-points before moving in to take out any one foolish enough to escape out onto the dock. The task of eliminating the shinobi in the living quarters would fall on Zetsu. The recreation center of the ship, which conveniently had a large garden and forest contained in it, would work perfectly for the S-Class missing shinobi of the Hidden Grass village. Once he was within contact with nature, he couldn't be beaten. Itachi was already on his way to kill the traitor Tobi. The irony that she really only needed 10 shinobi to complete this entire task wasn't lost on her (nor would it be lost on the hundreds of men who were meandering forth to meet their end at the hands of Maxi's defense systems, bless their souls)._

_Tobi, __thought Hinata wistfully. She still remembered when she first found the proud and loudmouthed youth, trapped under numerous boulders along the Konoha borders during the Third Great Shinobi wars. His entire body was crushed, several of his nerves being severed with no method of repairing them whatsoever. No medical ninjutsu was capable of healing a half-dead, crumbling body, which resembled more corpse than man. More than 70 of his blood was lost as well, and yet the answer to healing him was very simple: Regeneration. Having mastered the skill of transferring the energy of the Eight Celestial Gates to another individual, Hinata literally built him from scratch and began to train him in secret, away from the watchful eyes of the other Akatsuki members until the time was right to initiate his coronation. Still, she had fond memories of being with him-- those times when he first acknowledged her as a big sister, than as one he began to feel attracted to until they finally settled on being best friends. __And with friendship came easy manipulation, __she thought, relishing in the stupidity of the atypical male shinobi. The idea of getting him to help create her perfect world never entered her mind even once. Not even when he showed excellent doujutsu proficiency. _

_He was no Uchiha Sasuke. Hell, he wasn't even an Uchiha Itachi._

_Obito would remain simply a shadow of his former clan that illuminated against the fire that was Sasuke's revenge. But like all fires whose embers were to be quenched, this shadow was meant to die. He had already performed his small, minutely significant part in her plan any way._

_"I don't think we've been introduced yet," she said suddenly. Around her, there were several stone structures, some literally towering over the landscape and even dwarfing the size of the Haven itself. While it appeared deserted, she could feel two chakra signatures, both emitting large amounts of killing intent, though she was impressed by how controlled it was. Like comparing the brute force and carnage of a battle-axe to the almost obsessive precision of a knife. Not far away, on top of a large stone arch, stood Sasuke, his dark wings retracting as he reverted back to his normal tanned form, holding the Kusanagi no Tsurugu tightly in one hand and Hinata, her Byakugan pulsing and inspecting the leader's chakra signatures as thoroughly as possible, with the Tsumugari positioned upside down and concealed behind her back in a Chinese stance of swordplay. The leader removed his/her straw-hat and tossed it aside, so that they could gaze upon the face and eyes of the killer.._

_"My name is Shinta. Most people call me 'Leader', though."_

_Diving off the enormous stone structure, Sasuke sped towards the leader, the Level 2 cursed seal once again spreading, only this time accumulating in a black mass over his left hand. The seal speed was fast, but not enough that Shinta couldn't follow, as he made out the combination for the immensely powerful thrust attack, Chidori. As expected from one who mastered the art of partial transformation, Sasuke's hand began to crackle with black electricity until he recomposed into a large black blade encompassing his entire arm. The impact was to be immense as he soared at his enemy, screaming in anger, "Flapping Chidori!"_

_The very ground was dusted of its sand until all that was left was the earth. Its exterior was raised up and remained that way for some time, levitating in the air due to the opposite polar magnetic forces being produced by the two fighters. The explosion finally rocked the terrain of the Wind Country; the raven-haired Uchiha found himself being thrown back until his body collided with the very structure he had leaped off of._

_Using the kinjutsu-infused Raiton elemental energy and recomposing it to make a weapon to attack with…Not a bad strategy he's using against me,__ Shinta thought, before raising a chakra infused hand to catch the sparkling black whip that was aiming to decapitate his head. Lazily eyeing the area he had thrust Sasuke into, he merely caught sight of the remainders of the Suna Bunshin that came at him with the Flapping Chidori. _

_Of course he wasn't meaning to hit me with that move...The acceleration by gravity was too less for it to have any effect on my defense. __The Uchiha now stood behind him, producing another black electricity whip and began to lash out at Shinta. Seeing that one of his hands was now occupied, the Akatsuki leader began to side-step each and every one of the whip slashes. Seeing the frustration apparent on Sasuke's face, he immediately emitted a large amount of killing intent, his face signaling that he was getting sick of this little game of hit and run. He grabbed the second whip, heaved Sasuke's frame into his waiting kick and immediately swung around to produce two blue-chakra blades that stood floating before him to block the sword slashes from Sasuke and Hinata. Activating her Divine Chakra Combat Parts jutsu, Hinata thrust a large green chakra axe at Shinta's body. With a smirk, he caught it with his hand, only to feel his temper rise again when she lifted a foot covered by a large green cleaving blade to his face. He caught her right leg with his own before immediately seizing Sasuke's other hand which contained an elementally recomposed Raiton blade that would have extended and skewered his eyes out if he hadn't diverted its trajectory._

And for about thirty seconds they stood like that. Three insanely powerful shinobi playing a deadly version of Twister without the colored board.

"Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuga Hinata," said 'Shinta', with his arms holding their attacks at bay. He appeared completely relaxed as he looked at the two individuals before him. After mentally remarking with disgust at Hinata's slutty fashion sense, he continued. "I suppose you're not here to negotiate the surrender of your comrades aboard that ship, are you?" Not hindered by their silence, he smiled. "I guess I was wrong about taking Uchiha Itachi to be my faithful servant, Sasuke-san…The skill you've shown in eliminating so many of my shinobi is truly befitting of the Uchiha name. I'm sure your parents would be proud if they were alive…But still, one thing bothers me…Seeing that girl with you, I have to wonder…"

"What?" The words were uttered by Hinata. Her grip on the Tsumugari was so tight it began to shake.

"Is she your new stepping stone to gaining the Mangekyou Sharin—"

"Shut up!!" screamed Sasuke. His anger was even greater than any other time Hinata had seen him. His hate wasn't for this leader of Akatsuki, but for a man who even insinuated that he would betray Hinata.

"Right, right…Let's try and keep personal matters out of this," said Shinta as he rolled his eyes. "The fact that you're Sharingan usage is limited in a solid clone was enough to show me earlier that it was a Suna Bunshin... In essence, you need to work better at controlling your emotions. Though you have the raw power, you still lack the utilities in your personality that would turn you into a real shinobi-killing machine. I mean, Itachi would have seen your entire move-list from that one sneer—"

"You have a really big mouth…You know that?" said Sasuke as he smirked angrily, his Sharingan eyes swirling rapidly. "Speaking of moves, I suppose you realize by now that you're about to die, right?"

The leader said nothing, as Sasuke increased his force on the two bluish-white blades of chakra before him. A slight flicker of chakra could be made out from Hinata's side immediately after Shinta felt the weight of her leg, arm and sword disappear. Sasuke back flipped quickly as the indigo-haired Hinata erupted from the ground, her hands joined together to form a giant sledgehammer made of green chakra which swung upwards at Shinta's head. The orange-haired warrior smiled viciously, interested in the direction the game was now taking—it seemed that Hinata had generated a Kage Bunshin in the exact instant that she disappeared from his view and was now using it to try and attack him while she waited for an opening that she could flicker back into. The strategy was useless now that Shinta knew what she was upto but he decided to go along with it, if just for the sake of seeing her skills. He immediately directed both of his chakra blades before him to form a shield against the enormous sledge and after blocking the attack, hit the Kage Bunshin across the face, sending it flying before Sasuke's feet. The Akatsuki leader only now took notice of the thick mist that began to congregate around him as it shadowed both Sasuke and the shadow clone of Hinata from his view.

Suddenly, from the mist, a windmill shuriken twice the size of a normal one appeared, preparing to cut open the vital points in Shinta's neck. He simply let it graze his side while he leapt into the air, but immediately noticed another windmill blade of the same size coming at him almost 100 degrees from his right. He caught the oversized projectile with his right hand, almost insulted that Sasuke would use such a basic attack as Shadow Windmill against him. But he knew how the Uchiha were always trained to keep no more than 7 steps ahead of their opponents when they were both inventing a plan on the fly and not using their Sharingan. His suspicions were confirmed when the shuriken transformed back into its original form—the Hinata that Shinta was waiting to attack. She thrust he hand out and attempted to hit him in the face at point-blank with an enhanced Jyuuken Vacuum Palm Thrust. The shock she received was great—barely had her attack gone off did she feel the enormous chakra scythe that pierced her ribcage. Coughing up a little blood and wondering how Shinta could both divert her hand downwards and dodge her attack at the same time; she looked up into his sadistic eyes that burned with the passion of a million murderers.

"Die."

That word—the one word he wanted to utter to her face ever since he came into this dimension—without any fancy speeches or details as to who he was or why he was doing this much just to get her out of the way; the one syllable that caused his spirits to rise as his temper calmed and resolve rectified his damaged spirit…Was no more hollow-sounding now as it was the other million times he dreamt of uttering it to her.

The smoke accompanying the dispersal of the enemy before Shinta was quickly scattered as a kick laced with chakra impacted agasint him in the chin, propelling him upwards in a spiral-like motion. And it was only in that split second did he realize many truths.

Hinata hadn't come after him in the form of a shuriken—a clone did.

Hinata hadn't just tried to empty out half of his teeth with her martial arts, when she was really using the distraction to stick a special tag onto his body—a clone was.

A clone hadn't been kicked to Sasuke's feet a few moments ago—it was the real Hinata.

The Hinata who, with the help of the Flying Thundergod no Jutsu, was now in front of Shinta with her Byakugan pulsing and training for the kill.

And yet the only thing he could think of was how his interest in this game of keeping one step ahead of a more powerful opponent in an attempt to create an opening had just quintupled.

Wrapping her Combat Parts chakra into small portions that fit around her legs, Hinata began to perform a series of cycle kicks, sending the body of the enemy before her higher and higher. Twisting her body from left to right as she continued to thrust him upwards, she caught sight of his evil smile that showed that her attacks weren't fazing him. His hand, with a special blue blade of chakra attached to it, came at her head, hungry to rip out her skull and vertebrae. Immediately placing both of her feet ahead of her, the razor-edged chakra particles immediately collided with her make-shift defense and sent her flying back down to the earth. Fortunately, Sasuke appeared from behind, and taking her hand, heaved her back upwards, where she began to make the seals for the Thundergod Jutsu once more. Her raven-haired boyfriend wasn't one to back down—upon opening the Initial Gate to dramatically increase his speed he rushed at Shinta with one great leap, clutching both the Tsumugari and Kusanagi in his hands. The leader of Akatsuki felt a simultaneous knee and elbow in his midsection and head respectively, both imbued with Jyuuken chakra that was strong enough to kill a dinosaur. Hinata dodged the (intended) weak fist that he sent at her face with ease and immediately clambered onto his back. From the front, Sasuke appeared and keeping in mind her positioning plunged both swords into Shinta's body without hurting Hinata a bit.

Next, Hinata dislodged herself from his back and along with Sasuke, spun his body to the left into her waiting kick into his mid-section as Sasuke spun his kick to connect with his neck. Faster than their supposedly injured opponent could react, Hinata spun her body to her right and greeted him with a forearm that pushed his ribcage forwards violently as Sasuke somersaulted into a kick, just as he performed at the end of his Lion Combo, into Shinta's abdomen. A snap preceded the twin impacts, which is exactly how the combo worked out. Its principle was to use the attacking force of two simultaneous forces against two opposing bones in the body and make them strong enough to eventually break through those opposing forces holding the system together. The Uchiha warrior grabbed Shinta's upside-down body with his arms and wrapped his legs around his neck, whilst Hinata remained stationary in the air, letting gravity take control of her body as she slowly lilted back down to earth. The Peregrine Falcon Drop, a special move Sasuke hadn't stopped using since his days as a Genin, was performed with such speed, that Hinata swore she saw the Akatsuki Leader's head burning red from the forces of friction present in the air. Sasuke tore through the atmosphere and planted his body into the sand with a great impact, the shockwaves creating additional amounts of sand to spout upwards in a ripple effect. He released his hold on Shinta at the last second and used whatever force and momentum he could to propel himself back up to Hinata.

The combo was nearly finished. The two lovers joined hands and after one last nod from Sasuke, Hinata was launched at Shinta. Both hands were at her sides, maximizing her speed and minimizing her air resistance at the same time. Her chakra began to build up within her body and she held her palms out. The very instant she impacted against Shinta's body would be the time she would push as much Jyuuken into his coronary tenketsu as possible. Even if she had to rip out his heart and the adjoining arteries, she would make the kill. The one thing that would stand before her and any chance she would ever have at living at peace with the man of her dreams was now only a few paces away.

_Within a few seconds it will be over,_ she thought.

In an instant, the corner of her Byakugan twitched, as if not being able to believe what she was bearing witness. Everything was moving in slow motion to her…Everything was supposed to move in slow-motion to her lavender eyes that would burst at the seams if she poured any more concentration into them. And yet, that sight she saw, one so frightening she could have sworn she would die from the dread and hopelessness that began to clutch her heart… It was Shinta getting up. In her vision where sand was flying up at a snail's pace and she could count the number of particles with ease; where the charka moving through her body was like a multi-lined highway of streams calmly circulating back and forth through her body…

…He was moving at the speed of sound.

The second she landed at him and made her attempted strike, another explosion rocked the graveyard of ruins. Hinata opened her eyes again to see Sasuke with his arms wrapped around her frail little body. _Had he anticipated what Shinta was going to do_ _next?_ The Mangekyou Sharingan that he activated swirled once more before returning to its normal three-tomoe form. Yes, he had.

But before they escaped the blast radius of that explosion, another one broke out, sending them even farther away. The shock was too much for Sasuke and Hinata to stand, but it wasn't so much the physical force as the mental shock that rattled them. As their bodies landed back-first against the smooth white sand, the memories of scorning laughter ringed through their senses, shattering whatever hope they had. Hinata simply raised her body up, suppressing the desire to shake her knees from fear, while Sasuke hopped back up and tightened his jaw with surprise intermingled with anger.

The sight that greeted him was almost a traumatic incident in itself. Hinata's Byakugan pulsed and widened as she looked on in shock. "That's…" she began before the same sadistic laugh from before echoed through her ears.

Before Shinta were the two blades created entirely of chakra from before. However, on their left were several pikes made from electricity. On the right of him were a dozen axes and horse-slayer swords frozen with the power of ice, as they perspired under the blazing sun. Above him were several red, blue, yellow, green and purple orbs with innumerable rainbow colored diamonds crafted into them. The remainder of the space was covered with hundreds….Literally hundreds of rocks, sand and soil particles all remolded into broad shining shields--the same ones that pushed Hinata and Sasuke back before the explosion of chakra created from the formation of the arsenal around him. It almost seemed like he was mocking the couple by throwing them back at a time when they wouldn't be able to survive his most powerful attack. More than an insult to their strength though was his face. His expression was now the same as it was about two minutes ago when the fight started: amused, relaxed, no disappointment (since there had been no expectations) and the look of some one who appeared to be humoring a pair of ignorant children.

"He can freely recompose chakra at will," said Sasuke with shock. _I can understand doing that with such ease…but so many different elemental structures at once?! I could train for another 40 years and still not be able to achieve that kind of control and chakra capacity with a calm face, even if I was lucky… _"What the hell are you…"

"This is the distance between us, Uchiha. You are the level that the greatest geniuses known as Uchiha can achieve, and I," he said, as the orbs, weapons and shields rose higher and higher until they surrounded the couple. Hinata gasped and looked from one to the other—the orbs were beginning to build up chakra and the weapons started to gleam with different colors. "_This _is my level. The one I achieved by sacrificing everything…Now," he said as he looked up at the orbs. Each object started to concentrate an enormous amount of sunlight which became internally recomposed into a different color of chakra.

_Katon, Fuiton, Suiton, Hyouton, Mokuton, Raiton, Doton…_Sasuke pricked his index finger with a kunai he had hidden up his sleeve and spread a little on the chakra seal he kept on his right arm. _Even if we try to dodge…It would be useless…_ Without any seals, and hence with as much effort as possible, he began to convert his chakra into summoning something defensive. He felt his normal chakra reserves shift and meld accordingly as he began his jutsu…

Shinta smiled and raised his arms. "Armageddon."

Within the blink of an eye, surrounding them in a 360-degree radius, all the weapons became to home in on Sasuke and Hinata, The orbs built up the energy that had been contained in them and blasted off enormous beams of elementally recomposed destructive power from each of the diamonds contained in them. The Katon axes were already burning and ignited the air as they rushed towards the targets as the Raiton swords and spears crackled and generated micro-electromagnets in the air. Fire, earth, wind, water—the proverbial gathering of the greatest powers that nature had to offer man…and they were now all crashing down on the couple.

For a second, Hinata, with her amazing vision, couldn't see (though with the enormous amount of unresevered chakra bodies surrounding her, that was understandable). _Was it too bright or too dark,_ she wondered, recounting the stories she was told as a child about what it feels like for a shinobi to experience death for the first, and most often, last time. Trying his best not to panic, Sasuke thrust his palms into the ground and released the enormous amount of chakra the seal provided him.

"Rokyuu Rashoumon!!"

At first six demonic and titanic gates erupted from the ground, and fortified the couple, stretching so high up that only a small skylight was left at the top. The weapons and beams hit the walls, creating innumerable dents and cracks. A few of the attacks made their way past the so-called Ultimate Defense and whizzed by Hinata, just missing her jugular by a millimeter. She felt a small shard of ice cutting in to her leg, which made her squeal in pain. Sasuke was now huddled even closer to her than before; she looked upon his bleeding forehead that had been singed by one of the lasers. He tried to protect her with every inch of his body as possible, but the attacks only seemed to be getting stronger, the noises generated by the denting louder and the awful pain his joints felt after just getting sliced in the wrist by a shining blue shuriken less endurable.

Hinata covered her ears, trying to drown out the violence. Tears welled up in her eyes as she screamed out 'Sasuke-kun!' before bawling like a little child.

_How could we have been so careless? Shinobi…The warrior that is taught to fight from the shadows, set traps and corner an enemy; one who is skilled in using whatever is in his arsenal and his surrounding environment to defeat his foes, no matter how much they number. Are we shinobi? Are we, who have been unable to put a scratch on our enemy through meticulous planning, effort and much training, truly worthy of the shinobi name? I think…We are…But in this case it won't be enough…After all shinobi haven't been trained to defeat monsters…But to win, we may have to—_

The six gates of Rashoumon crumbled, their debris falling onto the space inside. The attacks still continued however and grinded the withered stone into pieces. After ten minutes of non-seized attacking, 'Shinta' looked towards the Haven with a smirk. He pulled out the Tsumugari and Kusanagi blades that were still stuck in him throughout the entire fight, and let them clatter carelessly onto the sand. "Next time we meet, Sasuke-kun, I want to see your full power. I hope you'll stop kidding around then," he said, before beginning his walk towards the battleship ad leaving the remains of his two opponents behind.

_This will have to qualify as a warm-up session for now,_ he thought before yawning with boredom.

* * *

Her soft pink hair was laid out across his bare chest. The gentle up and down movements of her breathing let him know of her slumber. The moonlight shone through, providing the only place dwelling within the darkness. _How many people knew this would happen,_ he thought to himself, as he continued to caress her hair, the beautiful strands of silk melting like sand through his fingers. Her naked body felt warm on top of his; the sound of her breathing filled his very being. He couldn't find the right word to express her beauty—it was neither of this earth nor of heaven. He couldn't find the reason why he and she had made love on a peaceful night like tonight. Looking out towards the moon again, he eyed its red shade now emblazoning the skies and he denizens living beneath them.

Sasuke turned his attention back to Sakura, and began to question himself.

_This night was to happen…It was to happen on many other nights, but it was this one…This feeling I have when I'm so close to her…Where is it stemming from? This must be what people mean when two soul-mates meet for the first, second, final and then again first time. Yet somehow, this doesn't feel…'right'. The moon is shining bright with no clouds in the sky. Her sweet smell is in my system, with her warmth beginning to clasp over my coldness. I gave everything for her and she repaid me ten times over. This feeling is what I wanted. But why does this not feel normal? Why does this feel like it's not really happening? Who am I? Am I me? Or am I another me? Why does this feel…_

"Sasuke," she said as she looked upon his eyes with love. Those green plateaus of mirth and harmony that made up her eyes—he could watch them forever if he so desired. "What's wrong? You look concerned about something."

"Sakura. Is this…real? What we just did—"

That feeling he experienced when she surrendered herself to his heart, soul and exterior; the endless kisses as he paid homage to her lips, her skin, her hands, her abdomen; the distinct identity they acquired as real adults; the new road they were to travel on…It was all there and yet…

"Are you feeling alright, Sasuke-kun?" she asked once more. She hugged him tighter and began to kiss his chest. "Do you…Do you want to do it again?"

He wasn't listening. He now knew that he had never been listening. Because it wasn't him who had made love to her. It was the other him who made her a woman. It was all the work of the other him. And as confusing as it sounded, this was all happening inside of his dream. The dream he always saw once in a while.

_My identity…Who I am…The girl I love…The family I had…The life I wanted…The battles I fought…The blood I spilled…The light I hid from…The darkness I embraced…The hate that consumed me…The only family I already killed…The love that she offered me…Was it all a dream? Or was it all just…_

…_My hallucination…?_

* * *

The Venus flytrap that was encasing Zetsu's head was a common joke to himself. It housed the evil and gentle sides of his persona. But he could never know which side of him was the real him. Black and white, left and right…he wasn't the type to live listening to only one critical analysis. His pitch black eyes shuttered a little before taking in all the details that were surrounding his body. The robe he had worn since he was a member of Akatsuki was placed back on as he covered his upper torso with it. The recreational environment that the Leader told him about actually did exist. Trees of evergreen and pine; daffodils and daisies all around him; a small stream filtering fresh water laced with nutrients for the plants to lunch off of—there was no doubt that the man who invented this ship wanted to cater to as many people's wishes as possible. A large metal door lay to his right which led to the residential areas, while the one to his left led to the landing area. Burrowing the thick underside of the ship, especially after he gained the necessary momentum from Itachi's calculated digging distance, was not a difficult task. The two-colored Akatsuki member had found his senses to be a little weary as of late. The urge to feed was getting stronger and stronger with each passing minute. He thanked Shinta a grand total of seven times for giving him the job of eliminating whatever shinobi laid on the subterranean levels of the Haven rather than having to go with Kisame and Deidara to the infirmary. He didn't have to ruin his appetite over a bunch of sick and wounded people (even though they were in greater quantity right now). All he could think about was meat. Fresh, tender, juicy, thick, filling, fleshy _meat_.

Zetsu immediately laughed, the sound emanating from one mouth turning into a duet of mixed pitches and frequencies. The three Konoha Nin who had been waiting from him ever since he arrived were indeed of a very strong level, and yet, they could do nothing against an experienced member of an S-rank criminal organization like Akatsuki. The prey felt heavy. Two of them were more lean and muscular while the third was increasingly flabby. _Not a bad meal for starters, _he thought as he smiled evilly.

"Yare yare, guess we've been discovered," said the brownish-blonde haired ninja whose hair was tied into a pony-tail. He walked out with his hands behind his head and a bit of a grimace on his face.

"Yeah. Shame we couldn't have gotten the advantage," said his black-haired partner. His black ninja shirt was his most distinguishing feature along with his ragged black beard and mustache. "Ne, Choza?"

Akimichi Choza, leader of his clan looked towards his comrades with a gentle smile on his face. "It's really not that big a deal…Inoichi, Shikaku." His two partners moved to either of his sides. After stretching for a little bit and eliminating any cramps they may have had in their necks and muscles, Zetsu felt the atmosphere change. Suddenly, he could feel his frustration building, but then that only happened on two occasions: when his meal was not as juicy as he thought, or when his food was trying to put up a fight, hence denying him of his rights to consume.

"He's an ugly bastard, that's for sure," said Nara Shikaku as he narrowed his eyes, and exuded utmost killing intent. His once free hands now held a black kusarigama within them, as he lazily swung the chain and ball in his left hand.

"Do you insects really think…**You stand a chance against me?**" Zetsu smiled sadistically and shuffled a little close to the three. "**Don't take Akatsuki members so lightly…**It could get you killed, much less in unbearable pain."

Inoichi looked up towards the roof with a dream-like look and crossed his arms. "You've let your guard down."

_**What?**_

Falling from the heavens with her two clawed hands outstretched, she made to split his body straight down the middle with unwavering power. Zetsu sidestepped her blow narrowly, the impact throwing up a whole yard of earth. His robe was torn at the side; a pair of yellow eyes looked out at him from the smoldering wreckage before running towards him on all fours. Zetsu evaded her rising fore-claw, before stepping back a few more steps as her hind legs took on a life of their own and began to nip at his chest. In mid-air, she brought both her claws together and made a deep slash downwards at the missing Nin of the Grass. The sonic waves combined with high-speed ripping winds could've meant a serious problem for him. He dodged her attack once more and analyzed her body a little. Long brown hair that was spiked in several places, two red markings below her eyes, a fur made of dark azure and a mouth full of incisors and canines drooling for blood.

Something swished by him—Shikaku heaved the scythe of the kusarigama at Zetsu, missing him by an inch. Before he could say anything berating though, Zetsu felt that odd feeling that he heard about so many times before: not being in control of one's body no matter how much effort was made. He tried to move, once he discovered that the veritable Nara had used the shadow from the chain of his weapon to snare him. Applying chakra to every pore of his body, he broke free of the jutsu, seconds before he was to have his throat snapped by the shadowy hand crawling up his robe. No sooner did he get away when he felt something even odder.

_Has the room changed dimensions…No wait, what is this? _Trees were planted on the walls, water was flowing from the ceiling in the form of a waterfall, and for some odd reason, he felt like he was the one who was upside-down. The chakra pathways governing his senses had just been not only dulled but thrown for a loop. He caught sight of Inoichi with his hands in an odd handseal. But there was no time to worry about that—for some odd reason, a giant's fist was coming at his head. Zetsu clenched his teeth as the fist, which was about 5 times bigger than him, collided into his face before grabbing him and heaving him all the way into the ground. By the time the plan had been successfully executed, the four clan members regrouped.

"**0 parts beast…argh...! **Cough…10 parts human…" said the azure creature, before reverting back to its original shape of Inuzuka Hana, leader of the Dog Nin clan of Konogakure. _That jutsu is so annoying…But it seems it'll be perfect for this fight._ Brushing her auburn strands back, she looked towards Choza."Did we get him?"

The plump leader of the Akimichi retracted his hand, now shrunken back to its original shape, and looked towards Hana with concern. "I'm afraid not…That creature defended himself at the last second, so he'll be back up soon."

"Problematic, but still," said Inoichi as he looked towards his team-mates from the 1st generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho combine with a smile, "At least we can compete with him."

"Yes. But we must finish this battle quickly and rendezvous with our allies…The enemy must be trying to infiltrate the Haven from separate points in order to split our most powerful forces. As soon as this area is secure, we'll head to the infirmary." Shikaku wrapped the chain of his kusarigama around his forearm and stood ready, just as Zetsu's silhouette appeared from the smoke.

"I give you credit…You successfully managed to damage me," he said as his robeless body became visible to the four clan leaders. Whether it was the twitching of his body that seemingly caused several of his bones to break again and again or the blood that started to generate its own green effervescence, something about what the black and white cannibal was initiating began to unsettle the four. His head was bowed as he spoke in a very haunting tone. "However, your foolishness is very disappointing since…"

He lifted his head up, revealing the empty eye-sockets, which were now replaced by flailing green roots leaking green and red blood. **"Since none stand a chance against me when I want to devour their bodies' whole!" **he said with a sick smile, before the samw green roots began to sprout out of his mouth. Hana, Shikaku, Choza and Inoichi, despite their growing disgust, readied themselves to fight against their foe—

_Argh!!_

_The realities were shifting…_

_He saw visions of Hinata and Ino making love amidst growing flames and a rapidly forming pool of blood emanating from the blonde's thighs…_

_Kakashi was fighting agasint himself, and matching himself move for move, until the mirrors they were set on cracked and erupted into a thousand red shards with a swirling Sharingan eye shaking within them…_

_Sakura and Naruto were dying at the hands of the Kyuubi, with her long hair swirling back and forth as Naruto tightened his grasp on her. His face was replaced with a skull that chattered incessantly, causing her to scream. A few feet away, another Naruto dressed in a flowing black robe with a single cloud at the back and long yellow bangs was busy explaining the significance of the sunrise to a pink haired medic Nin whose hair didn't even reach her neck._

_Itachi was sitting before his father, seconds before his death…_

_The three Sannin were busy shouting at some table and drowning themselves in sake. Orochimaru's large coiled body composed of a hundred white snakes cackled incessantly, while Jiraiya caught a pork-bun in his mouth with a quick and rapid movement of his tongue. A 12 year old Tsunade sat at the table, with the skulls of her brother and her lover being used to elevate her sitting. She laughed a strong old cackle before downing a mug of alcohol._

_Itachi was beheaded after felling another enemy ninja, as Mikoto cried out for her son's life in tears…_

_The clan leaders of the ninja world rejoiced upon hearing of a contest to the death to decide who would be the best clan in all the five shinobi countries…_

_Two yellow flashes systemically picking apart a giant crow with their 30-feet large cleaving swords smiled evilly. The bird laughed at their vain attempts of murder and slumbered peacefully on one foot. _

_Hinata looked at him with two children by her side. She smiled at him with love under a black sky full of painted red clouds…._

_Makeitstop…God…Myheadisspinningaroundandaround…Shitthatstings…ThinkI'mgonnavomit…Can't…think…straight…_

**--X--**

Sasuke opened his eyes and looked at his pale hands. The pain in his head was gone, and the nausea that made him want to vomit disappeared. He got onto his feet, but was unsure of his footing. He looked down but all he could see was the blue sky and white clouds. Yet, it felt like solid footing rather than thin air. The ground changed images soon after. Now it was completely black with numerous stars littering the void. The young Uchiha looked at his clothes. A black shirt and black shorts with no fan symbol on the back. A thought popped into his mind that maybe he was suffering from a bad dream, but that wasn't it. It felt too real to be a dream. He pricked himself and saw blood coming out of his thumb. _Not a dream, _he concluded.

Suddenly, the ground shifted into an ocean, vast, blue and calm. He smelt the salty vapors of the water at his feet, but felt fear when he saw the reflection in the water. The eyes of the Mangekyou Sharingan were staring right back at him. For some reason, he thought of Itachi but backed off when he realized his brother had died not once but twice.

_Wait…What am I saying, _he told himself with confusion, as the figure in the water with spiky and long black hair smiled once before muttering 'Ryu' with sadness and dissolving. _Makes no sense at all…So many things seem to have happened…And yet, they all feel so fantastic, and unreal…But they feel like the truth. Somewhere in this world, it seems time and space has no meaning…Yet why is it the one place with nothing but the truth? I wonder where this. I wonder if…_

The raven-haired youth instinctively turned to the sound of footsteps before him. She was a woman-- that much he could make out from the pure white and semi-transparent robe she had draped over her body. Her skin was pale and deathly, yet she provided the only source of light in the whole infinity of space. Covering her face and features was a strange straw-hat with small strips of bells at its ends. Not one to let his guard down, Sasuke kept a careful watch on the woman's movements. She walked a few steps forward and stopped a few feet away from him. Suddenly, she removed the straw hat she had on and let her shining cobalt hair flow downwards. She smiled as she met his red and black eyes with her lavender ones.

"You're Hinata…No wait, I remember you from somewhere else…Something's not right about you…" Sasuke relaxed a bit when he took a few steps near her. The aura of comfort and solitude that he felt whenever he was with her—it was still there, no doubt about it. But she just didn't feel like Hinata. "Hinata, are you that same person…Are you the one who was the leader of Akatsuki?"

The petite girl tilted her head to one side before letting out a short giggle.

"This doesn't seem right…I remember…" _What do I remember? It feels like the whole world emptied all its information into my brain…Like I'm trapped in some kind of ocean full of words that I just can't get a grip on… _"Any way…Hinata, where is this?"

Once again, no words were used to answer his question. She simply nodded before running away and taking shelter behind some kind of curtain suspended in the air, and invisible to Sasuke's eyes. The eyes of the Mangekyou were apparently useless in a world like this. No chakra was passing through it…Or rather, it felt like the chakra was everywhere. All-encompassing and suffocating the air—like how one couldn't distinguish the sun when it was the night-time—was how the space felt at the time.

Suddenly, the ground changed one more time. Sasuke looked down and his eyes widened with surprise.

The bodies of his friends were all looking up at him. Some of them were kneeling and praying before being engulfed in some strange black and white mass of ether. In fact, it just wasn't his friends. Nearly every single citizen of the ninja world was being consumed by this energy. No one was spared, but it didn't feel like they were in pain. The ether spread until finally it covered all the countries and water bodies. There was nothing left, but darkness. It wasn't until Sasuke saw the objects in space did he notice the one thing that could be discerned without the help of his doujutsu. He looked at the ether covering the world below him and at the darkness surrounding him. The moon reflected in the space below him was white, but upon looking up at the sky in the realm he was in, the moon was red. Blood red. But the real clenching factor was the darkness.

The exact same energy that consumed the ninja world was the same as the darkness around him.

"**Good afternoon, Sasuke-kun."**

It was the only voice in the entire room, yet he recognized it instantly. _Is it really…_

A total number of four white feathery wings were attached to her back as she drew closer to him. The white robe was still present on her body, and her blue hair was being blown about by some kind of invisible wind. The cerulean pupils set across the pallid background; the innocent expression of joy—it was all there but something was missing, just like when he viewed her earlier. Sasuke tensed up and spoke with anger.

"Is this what I think this is?"

"**Indeed,"** said Hinata as she smiled mischievously. Her wings fluttered once before she tilted her head and smiled at something behind Sasuke. He looked behind but couldn't see anything. Something was felt but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. A black feather touched the ground near his feet, followed by another. The thick, black wings of a Tengu were spread widely on his back. He felt them flap once before his gaze returned to Hinata. She giggled once more before she spoke what he knew to be the ultimate of all the truths present in this realm formed by the union of light and darkness, good and evil, angel and devil.

"**Welcome to the end…Sasuke-kun."**

**

* * *

****Author's Notes:** Okay, so this chapter, despite having a TON of stuff happening, is obviously not the end. I planned to include all the fights, results, a few showdowns and even a few major and minor plot-twists, but cruel fate didn't allow it to be that way (for Christ's sake people, it was too much. Too much I tell you!!). Simply too many plots have forced me to extend the story even longer—else you wouldn't be seeing an update for another few weeks. Though it was planned to end the story by chapter 14, it seems we're going to be on course for _My Eyes _to be about 17-20 chapters max. The 'Battle at Haven' arc has now been split into three chapters, starting with Onslaught. 

Just to point one thing out: Not all of the events in this chapter are not occurring in a linear order. Each fight, whether it be the Konoha 6 vs. the Dusk Squad or Itachi vs. Obito, is happening all at once.

Since this a long chapter (grins evilly), I feel I should only do proper justice to the Author's Notes and the stuff I want to clarify…

I'm not sure if it's the first time in the story, but for once, it feels like the characters are no longer simply good or bad: Hanabi taking revenge on the one who took her sight (had a major Ringu flashback when I was writing that scene…); Kakashi disposing of his opponent but letting him live long enough for an idle chat (though a major plot point got introduced as result); Sakura trying to balance between defeating her opponent and staying alive; Hinata and Sasuke who, despite training so hard and taking out so many opponents in the past, feeling actual, genuine fear when confronted against a fraction of the AL's power…I also took a bit of a different approach for the Konoha 6 versus Dusk Squad fights, showing a good amount of the fights from the perspective of the different members of the DS. Granted, such a thing may not be the default for remaining battles involving them, so weird did it feel for me.

Another thing I found strange was how Kakashi's fight against member no. 1 from the Dusk Squad resembled that of Sasuke versus Deidara in the manga (which is still going on). If you're not up to date with the manga then be warned because there are some spoilers. Using elementally recomposed Raiton chakra throughout the body, Sharingan genjutsu—sound familiar? Even though the idea of Sharingan genjutsu in the fight was inspired from the manga, the part of using the Raikiri chakra to force out the knife in Kakashi's body was my own original idea. Not to say that I plan on suing the manga author or anything (whoever got to the idea first claims it I guess, and he has tons of money so I'm sure he could take me down ), but it was still very interesting just how similarly Kishimoto and I think. If you found the overall fight underwhelming (which I kind of felt it was) then let me know, since I hate to make fights like that where the advantage rests solely in the hands of one person.

The fight I probably had the most fun writing was Sakura versus member no. 2 of the Dusk Squad. Not just because I got to show off a whole lot of new attacks for Sakura, but also because it gave me the chance to highlight one of Sakura's defining traits: her intelligence. Though able to fight using a very useful ability, one that she developed by herself, she still has to get the job done; that is, its upto her how she uses her skill to kill her opponent. Using the environment to her advantage and being able to devise different variations of the Verve technique versus one who can anticipate and neutralize chakra perfectly—it really sets the stage for a back and forth battle. I hope I've been able to give that impression for those reading it. Also one other thing: you may not have got the exorcist joke, but if you read **D. Gray Man** then youmost certainly will (even though the joke shares traits of being pun, that is, a term having dual meanings).

Kisame and Shirow were meant to showcase raw unbridled shinobi power, and their fight was akin to a bar-brawl with lots of destruction. And for all those wondering, yes, his super strength and endurance is related to using sound.

Itachi versus Obito wasn't detailed too well, but then, the fight hasn't really gotten underway. Also, for the first time, I was free to showcase Itachi's powers. As can be seen, no matter what the situation, Itachi always seems to excel. For all those who think that the good guys are over-powered, it was a relief to finally show them that like the shinobi in Konoha, shinobi in Akatsuki also keep getting stronger. If anything is going to put their skills to the test, it is these battles with the remaining five members and the Eight Tails. A little of the paradoxical discussions about Itachi's ways of mentally playing with his opponents was introduced in this chapter and will only be detailed further as we go along.

'Teamwork' was the buzzword for Hinata and Sasuke's fight against the AL (whole lot of good it did in the end, though).

When I was writing the portions featuring Ino's torture, I was very, _very _concerned about how it would be received, even thinking that maybe I would have to bump the rating from Teen to Mature for the story (but then with all the blood, you'd think I'd have better reasons to do so :P); I will most probably provide a disclaimer for this chapter. The fact is, this was a real wild-card to throw in, just like when she was raped during the attack on Konoha. If any one can offer their feedback on the whole issue, I'd much appreciate it, since my main problem seems to be whether such things (torture and rape) are required to be touched upon or not in the world of Naruto.

The various sections in this chapter that don't fit in with the current situation can be thought of as reality being twisted inside-out, where the present is starting to dilute with various visualizations of the future and other representations of the present. Time and space is indeed collapsing, and you can bet that this is all according to Hinata the Akatsuki Leader's plan. How Sasuke fits in is a whole part of what makes the plan tick. For those concerned about the result from their last battle, don't worry. This is definitely not the last we'll hear from our heroes!

In the beginning itself, a direct reference is made to Kazahana Koyuki, the princess of the Snow Country (see the first Naruto movie). It was these kinds of things that I wanted to flesh out more that motivated me to want to modify _My Eyes. _If you'll look closely, chapter 4 has been changed a bit, and has been renamed 'Uchiha'. Since this chapter was meant to get into the psyche of Sasuke for the first time, I felt that some change was required so that it reflected his manga personality better. Such modifications will continue, and I will be introducing brand-new content for the main story once it's all over and done with (the first things I wanted to have more than anything else: Hebi versus the Ninja Reserves, which details the one month Sasuke spent fighting Akatsuki's foot-soldiers. You'll also find that Karin, Suigetsu and Juugo will make appearances at long last). Arcs detailing Hinata and Sasuke's stay in the Snow and Earth Countries will also be provided with a few fillers showcasing how life in Konoha was proceeding for the two years they were together and other miscellaneous stuff, including the fight between Neji and Itachi which led to the former's death.

Well, that's all for me. I think I should apologize about how long this chapter took, but if I hadn't had my net access taken away or caught a cold or injured my left foot (God, I feel like Kakashi right now), it would have been up about two weeks ago. Sorry for the delay! See you in the next chapter and believe me when I say you won't wanna miss it!

**Dual of the Artists! Jinchuuriki Collide! Siblings of the Sound face the Monster of the Mist! Dusk Squad Regroup! Sannin in Dire Straits! The Power of Love? Defeat Shinta! Next! Chapter 13: Fortitude! **


	14. Chapter 13: Fortitude

**My Eyes**

By Shiranui the Brave

**Author's Notes** Blargh, this chapter is so damn late…Well, let's just cut things short. Was gonna upload this along with the last six chapters in less than two weeks, but since its been nearly three months since I updated, I'll put this up now. Enjoy!

* * *

**  
Chapter 13: Outlast**

"**At the top fighting to the very best against one very much out of their league…the Kazekage and his siblings versus Deidara.**

"**In the lower hangar areas, using their team work and unique skills to bring down a monstrous human…The clan leaders are against the quizzical Zetsu…**

"**In several sections near the open docking area, various shinobi of Konoha trying to assassinate each member of the Dusk Squad…Two have fallen…"**

From his rudimentary seat, Sasuke looked up at Hinata's face, and then returned his attention to the surrounding ominous ether. The ground had shifted pre-made settings once more, this time to an extended range of snow-blanketed mountain peaks. 17 hours spent in this eerie, empty netherworld with no one other than his indigo-haired love interest to keep him occupied with her ramblings. Amazingly, he wasn't bored. At least, not half as bored as he would've felt training some girl he just met.

_Something feels horribly disjointed_. Similar to the very beginning, it was like another him existed within, but rather than just sharing dreams, wishes and desires alongside his preset being, an unceremonious removal and unrefined transplantation had occurred. Maybe that was why he couldn't bear to look at the deliriously happy Hyuuga standing a ways, reiterating the details to God-knows-what. Patience played a key factor in the last Uchiha's (or for that matter, the last planetary boy with his own discrete, exclusive existence, tainted as it was by semi-known outsiders) waiting game. Whatever Hinata spoke came to his memory. It was like the words were settling in and molding back into their original shape of his reminiscences; if he waited long enough, maybe the same would happen now as well. Then he could find a way out of this place and back to… _his_ Hinata. The diminutive and shy yet kind and innocent Hinata who he had loved so much— which him was no one's guess.

_The thoughts and actions of this other 'me'…Whatever they mean, it seems he harbors a deep hatred for the being known as Hinata…_and_ a deep love for the same…Could it be possible that these are one and the same person? Even not, how does that tie into the other memories he has? _In this parallel world, pain had no master, presiding or effective. Hence,discerning through the darkest reaches of gray in his head was painless; on the contrary, it seemed to be further fuelling his desire to kill. Kill who, kill what, kill here, kill there, kill those killed; extermination of any remaining life was prioritized. Just listening to the tales of death and fighting that she narrated soothed his blood-seeking-blood bathing eyes. The absence of the Leaf on his head contributed significantly too. Now if only he could figure out what was pushing him to these brinks.

His interest in knowing the situation he was in inside and out, no matter what the circumstances or how injured or immobilized he had become weren't being exercised. The raven-haired youth was more in the mood to play 'immobile vagrant' then 'ninja' right now. An after-effect of all the lately stress? The mysterious illusions of a fantasy, the blankness serving to blanket as he forgot that found to be unnecessary unto his utmost desires undoing? Simple burnout, and the subsequent realization that maybe he was better off trying a normal profession? One that dealt less in using every facet of one's existence to soundlessly stalk the shadows and break being into pieces physically, mentally, socially and spiritually and more with living, simply living and doing things normal people would do, like sleeping with their faces to the walls or backs to the windows, and eating food, sumptuous, filling, greasy, spicy, fattening and sweet food, and working normal boring jobs that they'd pan every day, yet which gave their lives not so much meaning or fulfillment, but a means to fill the vacuum left by each day's clock?

The black bird feathers on his back, a far more beautiful departure from the claw-like appendages that sprouted upon the second stage of the Cursed Seal, gave a somnolent flutter. That night he shared with Hinata where with nothing but a simple kiss and the proximity of their bodies, clothed as they were, he obtained a moment's existence only uncovered when two people existed as one, without overlapping or consuming one another.

Flashes of that scandalous night he spent with Sakura were also fresh. He lost count of the number of times they tumbled, one on top of the other, gleefully to claim their poise in the art of pleasure. That tingling taste of sweat and flesh— so irresistible was its exuberance for primal instinct, an urge he considered himself above, that he nearly tore her apart, flesh and bone, feasting on her skin, her cries of painful pleasure satiating and whetting his appetite endlessly. Yes—the destruction of a loved one came with certain mirth, undeniable and the final step to full-fledged cannibalisms of the human anatomy.

The night his mother spent with him during an unbearable pain suffered from a training session, she had caressed his small frail shoulders, singing sweet lullabies. Bathing in the light of the moon, waking up at intervals to see her slightly parted mouth welcoming and begetting the nightly air, others to see her onyx eyes reflecting his own, her smile dictating the existence of pain and finally the next day, when he left, her words of encouragement for his renewed efforts…

His wings fluttered a bit solemnly this time, a feather dropping in his remembrance of her.

So many women had been with him in the darkness and he hadn't even stopped to realize the deadly line that his mind was traversing on; one that could possibly provide him a clue on his role in this phantom world, maybe help him piece together the key to saving the world. With innocence and utmost matter-of-fact, his lungs suffocating under the words' weight, he asked himself:

_Since when have I needed so much love? _

Admittance to how deep in the darkness he had sunk and how small the peephole was to the surface, where the thread of light reflected naught but more shadows?

Admittance that of all of the names people called him in his life-time, they forgot to include the word 'deserving'?

Deserving to be loved?

"**Kisame seems to be fighting against an odd man…Strange how this person fights with so much ferocity even in the face of such hopelessness. Ah, their tussle seems to be in the water treatment plant of the ship…That can't be good for that man, Hittori Shirow-san. **

"**She's getting restless. Sad…it seems Haruno-san is about to become her first victim…**

"**Itachi-san and Obito-kun seem to be in their own little battle…How reckless that Uchiha brat can be…Arra, I forgot you were here Sasuke-kun! Please don't mind me! But it strange how he's toying with him; he must despises him more than anything if a despondent death is his will. Letting him live, only to could cause more suffering. How…typical of Itachi-san…**

"**So much violence. And it won't let up for a while. Ne, Sasuke-kun…"**

There nothing left to do. Only wait. Wait and observe. Hopefully, whatever was happening and how it tied into 'the end'…It would all make sense sooner than later. He just had to be patient. Just let time flow and not make any impulsive moves. He just had to—

"**Ne, Sasuke-kun…"**

The hawk-eyed youth let out a sigh. "What?"

Smiling triumphantly, she spun and pointed to her back. **"Don't you like my wings better?" **On command, four white wings gave a multitude of wavers, the upper pair being slightly larger and located upon her shoulder blades while the lower pair originated from the lower back, close to her kidneys. Her cobalt gaze never left his now ruby-dripped orbs.

The desire to kill the petite angel before him heightened at an astronomical rate. Yet, in the same bleak state possessing his mind, he couldn't help but answer, "I suppose." An about face from stages left and right, and the actors continued their parts in this other-worldly drama.

_Just what the hell is going on?_

* * *

_  
Looks like it's going to end with a clear night, _thought Sakura as she looked up at the orange-streaked sky. Still recovering from her earlier fight, she lay, favoring her injured right shoulder after healing all the small cuts and bruises. Due to a lower chakra reserve, it remained partially injured; after a little more rest, this could be rectified, and then she'd rendezvous with the rest of the squad inside the hangar.

Thoughts of Sasuke and Naruto came to her once more. She remembered seeing Sasuke and his demonic form for the first time when he arrived in the village to help them escape. As always, he paid no attention to her. Aside from the fact that he was concerned with the safety of the entire village of that time (something which struck her as odd since she knew how much he hated living in Konoha), this was understandable. Because now, it seemed he found a new partner in life that could help him be happy. She always wanted that for him, one way or another, and she longed to see a time when he could be smiling, but then she also longed to be the one who could be the cause for it. That was in the past though, when her love had been nothing more than a little school crush that held out longer than most. Now Naruto on the other hand…

_No…I don't even want to think about it, _she told herself with a giggle. The various images of the blonde flashed through her mind the instant she got up and dusted her trousers off. With what little chakra she had gained, she restored the remaining flesh on her shoulder, removed the remains of the denim coat and moved towards the hangar doors. _I hope all's well that end's well. _After all, there was no point in remembering the most important people in her life, both as a shinobi and a woman, if she was going to die. That was something she'd rather share with every one around her, if just to give back that little happiness to those who helped her so much before moving on.

"Reached docking area for the FAF Haven. Now I guess I should…huh?"

Sakura stopped upon hearing the voice behind her. The words she was speaking were unclear; she turned around to get a better look at her face and found that they matched heights almost perfectly.

The grayish chakra around the brown-haired woman slithered uneasily from side to side, dancing to the tunes of the harsh wind. Her stone-colored eyes begged for details when she saw the pink–haired kunoichi before her. "Ah... Already some one here before me. Excuse me, kunoichi-san," said Rin as she waved her hand a little and beckoned for the stranger before her to step a little closer.

"Me?" spurted Sakura with some confusion. _Something about this woman doesn't make me feel right,_ she thought to herself. Closing the distance between them, she inspected her appearance. A short somewhat plump figure, thin slender arms, a round smiling face, a pure white dress—if not for the warzone the ship had degenerated into, Sakura could have sworn she was on her way to see the ocean.

"Ah! Please, a little closer so we can talk." On seeing the doubtful look on Sakura's face, she scrunched her cheeks a little and then came up with an idea. "Oh, it's this aura right? Just give me a second," she said sweetly, before compressing the small burst of chakra engulfing her into her body, the point ending in a small thread that led into the flesh just above her heart. Placing a hand on top, as if it were a precious gift to her, she opened her eyes and they reflected a beautiful azure. "There. Is that better?"

"I guess…Who are you?"

"Me? Oh," she said, waving her hand before her, as if fanning some non-existent insects away, "I'm nobody. I went by this name some time ago but remembering it's very hard. In fact, most details in my head nowadays are a blank; it's like—"

"Amnesia, perhaps?" interrupted Sakura as she began to inspect her life-signs upon drawing closer to her. "You seem to be in perfect health, though." Without even knowing her, Sakura was beginning to connect with Rin.

"Ahaha…No, no…It's not loss of memory. Its more like the details are there in my head, but I can't properly identify them or something…It's annoying at times but nothing I can't get over…"

"Ah," said Sakura plainly. "Um…Don't mind me asking this…but are you a member of the Akatsuki?"

Rin looked at Sakura with wide eyes before twirling her index finger several times and finally pointing at her own face. "Me? Oh, actually I am. Would you happen to be a Konoha shinobi by any chance? But then, I should have been able to tell from your head-band!" With a playful knock of her own head, Rin giggled and folded her arms behind her, shifting her weight back and forth on her small ankles.

It started from when she had fought Sasori in the River Country all those years ago. Then it reached to when she was murdering attacking Akatsuki Nin back in Konoha and ended at the Dusk Squad member she had just faced. For the longest since she's remembered, Sakura had been killing nothing but Akatsuki, and yet, she had a difficult time passing the same judgment on the elf-like female before her. A suggestion reared in her mind; why shouldn't she give it a try? It's not like she was an uneducated, impulsive brute. Maybe a little bad-tempered, but…

"Listen miss," she started as she took Rin's hands in her own. "T-This is a little hard to ask from you…Maybe unfair since you have your own desires and mission, but don't you think…" Her teeth buried into her lower lip and she met eyes with the brown haired girl once more. "Don't you think you could...Just this once…Go back? Just so we can avoid any more senseless fighting? I don't know what Akatsuki wants to attempt with all these odd plans, but can't we just try to understand each other as fellow kunoichi, rather than blindly following orders?" _Would that be the same reason I'm so unwilling to attack her? Because it wasn't an order? _How quickly she had been though to assist in the boyish Sasori's murder, she mocked mentally.

"Hmmm…" Rin backed up a little and had a hand on her chin, contemplating deeply about what had been asked of her. After what seemed like several long minutes, she finally turned to Sakura with a gentle smile on her face. "You now, kunoichi-san, since you asked me so kindly…I'll accept your offer."

A gasp of joy flowed from the medic's lips. "Really?"

"Hai, hai," she said, her smile widening until it covered her face like some kind of mask. Suddenly her brow furrowed as she rolled her eyes upward. "Though, I'm not sure if Nee-chan will like it. Well, those are the breaks!" With a little twirl, Rin began to walk towards the edge of the docking area, while Sakura clasped her hands together to thank God that there was at least one sensible person in that whole damn organization. Would this woman say the same of her to her comrades? That she had met some one on the enemy's side who was willing to agree on a compromise? Could these two people possibly be the only bright spots in the militaristic outlines that defined all shinobi groups, be they in the guise of a criminal organization or that of a noble village? Sakura stared at Rin's retreating form that began a soft hum, the words, 'Thank you' forming wordlessly on her lips more than once. She was about to proceed to the hangar to meet up with the remaining members of the Anti-Dusk congregation (as this was their agreed meeting place once they had dispatched their respective opponents); however, a sudden gesture from the Rin's direction caused her to halt.

"Hmm…Now that I think about it, kunoichi-san…I don't think there's any way for me to compromise on my mission. Nee-chan told me it was very important and all…"

"But, why? I thought we could settle this without any more bloodshed—"

"Hold on a sec," said Rin as she held up a hand and cleared her throat as if to announce something important. "The way I look at it, you don't want me to hurt any one. I don't want you or Nee-chan to sad. Maybe we could work out some kind of deal. After all, my objective has almost little to nothing to do with any innocent civilians on this ship."

"Really?" Her look became more intense as she continued. "In that case, what do you have in mind?"

"Great! So how about this: I won't lay a single hand on any one in this ship if you'll just let me kill Uzumaki Naruto?" A flash of pearly white accompanied the brown-haired woman's smile. Indeed, it seemed coming up with a plan like that was a big achievement for her.

"N-Naruto?" Immediately, the planet seemed to halt its motion. 'Kill'—she heard it so many times, she used it so many times; yet why only now did it hurt so much? A knot was forming in her stomach as one image flashed into her mind.

"_Sakura-chan," he said, clutching her tightly as he looked up at her from his knees. The feeling of terror was evident in his eyes, all hope draining away amidst the cold humid darkness. "Sakura-chan, help me…Sakura-chan, help me…Sakura-chan—"_

"_Its okay," soothing his hair as she returned his grasp. His tear-covered cheeks crushed her small chest, but the warmth couldn't comfort him. His pleas for help continued and his eyes didn't dare shut for fear of being enveloped in more darkness. The rain pelting against the window of Naruto's apartment gave the impression of a thousand rattling dead souls, all seeking him for everything and nothing that he did wrong in his existence as a ninja. Be calm, her heart stated to no one. She rested her head on top of his and hugged him deeply. "It's alright. You'll be fine, Naruto. Would I say that if I didn't know? Let me tell you a story, okay? Remember that time when we went on a date after you came back? That was a really fun day, even if we never got to…" He would be okay, she told herself, choking on her tears so harshly that they came out in the form of faint hiccups when she spoke. He knew he would be okay, because she said he would. _

"Yup! See, we need Uzumaki-san to stay out of our way, since according to Nee-chan he's now one of her biggest threats with all the power of the Kyuubi within him. It would be really wonderful if I could capture him but Nee-chan told me that if he resists, I should kill him, and given his track-record I don't expect anything less. I figured that since he has such a terrible power within him, no one in the village would care if he died. Why, the very reason he's in his unconscious state, according to Nee-chan, is because he released the power of the demon fox very recklessly. Now what kind of village would want a person like that, whom can't even perform his functions as a vessel properly? Though I wonder what I should do with him in his current state…Should I capture him and bring him back alive or should I murder him or…"

A few more sentences orated by her fastidious mouth, but Sakura wasn't listening to her theories about a jinchuuriki's role one bit. Her eyes flashed a maniacal green, as her fist went sailing into Rin's face. The amount of uncontrolled chakra split her cheekbones in half; her pale frame spun some distance in mid-air before skidding on the rough metal surface that dug into her dress. There was no further indication of life being present in her—exactly what Sakura was counting on. _How beautiful 'kill' is beginning to sound now._

"Arara," said Rin, her trembling frame oriented onto her palms. The mangled left cheek of hers showed the slightest signs of a smile as she ripped off the portion around her thighs of her clothing. "That was quite…the punch you gave me. I guess you won't be willing to take my offer. Correct?"

"An enemy of Uzumaki Naruto is an enemy of Konoha. Akatsuki or not, they will be eliminated. I don't even feel sorry for that!" she shouted vehemently, raising her two fists.

Rin chuckled and assumed a seated position. Head bowed down; some light tress of brown on the cheek; thoughts of a now-distant conundrum; breathing out noiselessly—and her speech resumed, lucid and monotone. "It must be nice to think that way about the one you love. Very well, I guess I'll have to get serious. I really hope you'll live up to your last words." The bones in her cheek sickeningly snapped back into place; Rin stood up and at once the grayish chakra aura contained within her burst forth again. Sakura barely had any time to react when she registered the presence of the kunoichi behind her. Turning around, their clarity froze her, those gray slit eyes did. Within that moment of action and reaction, she sneered kindly, and with a hint of amused warning. "Here comes the first attack."

A scream escaped Sakura's lungs as she felt her head being pulled back. Her nerves, registering the pain, sent a reaction to her spine to elongate; a few more seconds passed before its existence dawned on every cell in her body. Several drops of blood stained the remnants of Sakura clothes. She eventually brought her eyes back down to see the four long entrails of chakra that had pierced her arms and legs. Rin lifted up Sakura and spread her appendages apart with her chakra; she gritted her teeth as the fibers within her muscles tore first. Bearing it was easier—bearing it hurt less, wasted less oxygenated blood as one's senses began to adjust to the torment.

"Ehhh… It looks the first attack was the last," pouted Rin, crossing her arms as she observed Sakura's slowly extending frame. "Ne, kunoichi-san… I've been curious about this since I first laid eyes you but I really wonder how loud I can make you scream. I haven't been able to fight like this for a while now. Maybe that's the reason. Or maybe it's because you have such a nice, trim body. Either way, lucky me, huh?" She beamed sweetly, her unflinching gray eyes awaiting Sakura's further aggravations.

With a small amount of force, each of the chakra tendrils were split in the middle, creating wedges between the holes in Sakura's arms and legs, and began to increase the distance between each of them. The first snap was heard from Sakura's leg, the one she injured when the Akatsuki invaded Konoha. The oxygen was spilling coldly from her body, and her senses not able to cope, Sakura screamed mercilessly. Smirking victoriously, Rin focused her attention on creating a fifth chakra tendril, one that she maneuvered close to Sakura's stomach. The razor-sharp tip was close to pricking her skin and entering her digestive system. Any amount of terror within Sakura's mind couldn't be felt; instead, the image of her best friend laying on the infirmary bed and still recovering from his coma appeared before her.

That any one would think of harming him always made Sakura mad. Not because he had enemies who wanted to maim him; not because she was attached to him as a friend; but because after all the fighting he had been doing in the past few years…All the madness, aggravation and horror that he went through, despite losing consciousness because of the Nine-Tails, it was the first time in a while that she had seen such peace in his expression. She wanted to protect that peace on his tanned face, as a doctor, a friend, a team-mate, and a shinobi. How she fought alongside him in that time he was falling apart brought no more than bring an insignificant smile to her face. Tearfully, the plains of her eyes met the burning sky.

_Even after all that…I still lose, huh? _Sakura closed her eyes and prepared to die.

A multitude of shockwaves made ripples throughout the surroundings; Rin spared a quick gaze towards the hangar doors that just been blasted open. The sounds of rapidly approaching footsteps were like ripples upon a river as they tore through each individual droplet. Delirium was beginning to overtake Sakura, and if she didn't recover soon, the blood-loss would be enough to kill her. Rin dropped her ragged play-mate in order to counter-attack but she underestimated the speed of her new opponent as a strong kick infused with chakra met her face the second she turned around. The impact threw her back but already being in battle mode, she landed, cat-like, on her feet. A flicker of violet appeared before her and restrained her right arm with its right. Its left leg hooked onto her left; its left palm lay smoothly on top of her heart. With one eye blazing red and another pulsing with alarm, she pushed a sharp force into Rin, intentions of shredding her body into pieces becoming a stark reality. A massive wind drafted outwards from the impact site of the two, the remains from which the purple clad, dark-brown haired shinobi bounded from to land before the broken Sakura. With wide open, horror-struck eyes, Sakura registered this girl's identity merely from her body's stance and structure.

"H-Hanabi-san…"

"Stand back, Sakura-san," said Hanabi as the three tomoe of her Sharingan eye converted into a tri-pointed figure. The spot she distinguished among the whirlwind enveloping her enemy was one of her legs. The head would have made a finer target, but a high amount of damage was never a bad substitute for a kill in martial arts. Focusing her chakra into her right eye, Hanabi began to reform the space around Rin. "Amaterasu," she muttered, before Rin's left leg was amputated from her body. Her screaming, even more agonized than Sakura's earlier outbursts, pierced the air. That was all the conformation Hanabi needed as she turned to Sakura. Making sure to shut her right eye and spreading a waterfall of hair over that side of her face, she forced a soldier pill down the medic Nin's throat. With the resurge in chakra, some of the color began to return to her cheeks. It wouldn't be as useful as a blood transplant, but if Sakura could stimulate her system to create more RBCs and hemoglobin, then it would be enough.

_The closing of the wounds may require more chakra_, thought Hanabi. _But with the state she's in, this can't be rushed._

"H-Hanabi-san…What did you—"

"Please, Sakura-san. Focus on recovering yourself. No one arrived at the rendezvous point, which means we're on our own for now." Hanabi took her own fill of soldier pills and after clutching her right eye for a few seconds, looked at the remains of her opponent with renewed concentration. _Sadly, I could only succeed in buying us some time. That woman's chakra— its composition, flow and shade is different but its origin is demonic, just like Naruto-san's. _

"H-Hai...but what…what was that just now? Those moves you did?" Something about Hanabi made Sakura think that she was the perfect opponent for Rin—as if one wicked being could be beaten by unleashing another. Her stature and demeanor were completely different from the poor girl who cried upon being told her eye-sight would be sacrificed for her health.

"The first attack was a Gentle Fist technique known as Vacuum Palm, which uses Jyuuken to exert a large amount of force outwards. Recomposing it into razor-sharp Fuiton chakra, I hit her with it at point-blank range. If even one of those winds cut through her heart, it would have been enough to kill her. Apparently it wasn't, so I dismembered one of her legs using a space-altering jutsu. That should have gotten us some more time than this, though." Hanabi looked down on Sakura with some concern at the amount of blood she was covered in. The time for concern was short though, as the last of the Fuiton attack dissipated. Standing there, on one leg with numerous cuts and one of her eyes hanging from its socket was Rin. Half of her face had been torn off, exposing the skeleton beneath while the other half was covered in tears, pain and pleasure intermixing within her soul. Sakura shuddered from this spectacle, since she had yet to encounter an individual that endured that much damage without going into shock. The remains of Rin's right arm were still dripping onto the cold metal ground as she pointed her remaining digits at the Hyuuga.

"So you wish to play as well? I will accommodate you…You seem strong, so I shall accommodate you, girl. Yes…In just a few seconds—"

A mass of flesh, blood, tendon, bone and muscle suddenly short forth from her thigh and took the shape of her destroyed leg. Hanabi watched rigidly as Rin's injuries miraculously healed—a web of spider-like threads crept out of the right side of her face and slowly began to map out and reconstruct the left half. She smiled with innocence once again, and her steely gray eyes were now focused solely on Hanabi. Rin's chakra surged towards alarming levels, but Hanabi did not falter one bit.

Instead, before the former realized it, Hanabi was behind her, her left palm facing upwards as it stretched down to her right foot. Her right hand stretched back, the first two fingers solely exposed.

_The level of Shunshin she's displaying…It's the same as Sasuke's! _ Her shock as Hanabi's new strength wasn't solely her own, however.

"H-How did you—"

"That chakra aura of yours may protect you against several things, but a Jyuuken user isn't one of them. You wish to play with me, monster?" Hanabi smiled sadistically, her mouth dimpling gleefully. The Mangekyou Sharingan spun rapidly as the overload of chakra supplied by the pills was now being utilized. "I wonder how much your tenketsu could take if each of them was injected with that same attack that I used to lop off your leg?"

Rin's expression withered out of anger more than shock. "You little bitch—"

A massive ring began to cover the radius that Hanabi estimated her attack to spread. This was her second time attempting such a move, and while it would have been easier to rupture her tenketsu from the inside using the dimension-altering attack, the enemy's speed was too high. The energy within Hanabi's body reached such a fierce boiling point that small threads of blood leaked from her right eye. Again, Rin made to counter, but not even escape was an option as Hanabi constructed the chakra of the Amaterasu, reformed it and transported it towards the tenketsu in her palms. The world's proceedings gradually slowed to a stand-still within her left eye's Byakugan.

"Eight Trigrams: 361 Strikes!" Hanabi aimed first at the tenketsu in Rin's arms and neck. The usurping sensation of the Amaterasu, as it would feel should one's flesh be cleanly scooped out of their body in a split instant, was never felt by the woman until the sensations of pain were communicated to her brain. Time was eternal though, and the speed of the nerves couldn't match the young Hyuuga's flickering movements as she began to systematically dissect Rin's leg and thigh tenketsu. The remainder of the attack finally reached the few places she desired most, as more than a hundred pin-like strikes destroyed the remainder of the chakra pathway portals in her foe's body, heart and head. The moments of time shifted back into real world motion; Hanabi assumed her Gentle Fist stance again, and the totaling force of pain threw the missing Nin turned Akatsuki follower several yards away, until her bleeding frame smashed through the guard-rails and left the harbor of the Haven.

"Amazing," whispered Sakura, still unable to move. The length of each of her injuries was lessening but only by so much. It was funny how just a few minutes she was considering nothing but death as her future whereas now, she was anxious to get back into the fight. It was over now, her admiration for her savior about to be expressed.

Hanabi however, fell to her knees. The Sharingan eye couldn't take much continuous abuse of the Mangekyou's abilities. She thought that since Uchiha and Hyuuga were of the same origins, it wouldn't have been that bothersome (the fact that her body hadn't rejected the eye was too impossible to be called a miracle); at least that's what her sensei for the past few weeks had somehow convinced her. Covering her right eye with her forehead protector, the young Hyuuga tied her brown locks into a pony-tail and struggled to get up.

_First a sudden gush of chakra, then nothing but a trickle. One of the more dreaded effects of soldier pills, _she thought to herself. _No wonder junkies feel so bad upon abusing them…Withdrawal is just so easy to come by. _A 'clang' caught her sudden attention but it was simply the remains of the guard-rail that she had shattered with her attack and her opponent's body. Relaxing on her knees, Hanabi kept one hand pressed on the burning in her eye, and the other to keep her self steady.

It was then she fell unconscious and began to dream. The figure she had dispelled from the ship slowly crept onto the dock, her clawing, bloody fingers dragging her twitchy frame higher and higher. Her chakra was irregular, split in numerous places, cleaved in others, but the blackness prevalent in those places began to subside, began to repair itself. One region at a time, until the bluish shade transformed into a gray dragon that glared at her and licked its lips hungrily.

Hanabi struggled to accept that she was still awake. Rin's standing upright further reinforced the fact that her presence was more than some vain nightmare.

"I have to really admit. Your powers are much better than that pink-haired woman who I tore apart," said Rin, as her chakra enveloped her body, the beast inside drooled hungrily, causing the Hyuuga to shudder. "Could we please continue where we last left off? This time, I'll be the attacker…

"And you can be the one thinking how to regenerate your body.

"…Ne?"

A multi-pronged hand rushed at Hanabi's chest, aiming for her lungs. This was deflected by a long whip of chakra that suddenly caused Rin to jump away. She was surprised to see Sakura with her wakizashi in the air, as a long trail of Verve chakra flowed from it. Within seconds the attack dissipated, the pain in her arms demanding she resume her role as a medic Nin. Rin took that as her cue to attack and began to sprint towards Sakura. Once more a purple flicker came in between the two at the right time with a fist of blue chakra at Rin's heart. Sidestepping it, Rin swept Hanabi off her feet with amazing speed, and then punched her mid-air frame into the surface of the metal.

"No," said Sakura, as she tried to heal herself faster. "Come on, come on, come on…"

Rin's fist brought forth a spurt of blood from Hanabi's chest cavity. The little teen gasped for a release as her ribs cracked. Rin's free hand closed around her throat, preventing the seepage of blood and producing more to flood the compressing wind-pipe.

"Ara, it seems my hits are too strong," she said shakily to Hanabi, gazing at the missing piece of cloth and her bruised abdomen. They met eyes for a second, pure hatred flowing from the girl's into the woman's nonchalance. "What was it you said? That my chakra is useless against Jyuuken?" Her grip tightened, much to the despair of Sakura who was playing the waiting and baiting game. "Let me tell you this: If you obliterated all my tenketsu at once with that attack, you would have killed me without a doubt. But you took too much time, moving from one region to another, and it was in those instances that I used my chakra to regenerate my tenketsu. I am a bit sore about the end part though. Do you know how bad it feels to recover fully one second and then break your neck the next? Its annoying, that's what—"

Hanabi coughed, and mangled a few of her words. "Don't you ever…shut up?" The sadistic smirk was absent, replaced by one of diminishing hope.

Rin stopped at those words and smiled calmly. "Tough words from some one on her back." She soared skyward, releasing her hold when a cutting edge of wind sailed at her from the left. Using her control over Jyuuken and Fuiton, Hanabi summoned the small amount of chakra circulating in the hull after her Vacuum Palm attack. Sadly, missing was not a part of the plan. "It looks like you have your share of tricks, but they're quickly running out."

"I'll be the one to decide that," said Hanabi, finally spitting out the long stream of blood. Looking towards Sakura once more and lifting her forehead protector off of her eye, she spoke. "Sakura-san, once you're fully healed, I'd like you to run and find reinforcements. I will hold her off for as long as possible." The Sharingan was faltering back and forth between its normal form and the Mangekyou. _Forget reaching my limit; I'm not even sure how to keep standing…_

"Ah, I remember something about that eye. I wonder if your medic did as good a job as I did, in my time…Whenever that was…" Rin brought a finger to her chin to contemplate on that point. "But then, it doesn't look like you care about whether it stays with you or not, right?"

"For the love of God, shut up!!" Hanabi bounded at Rin once again, and began to fight using her Gentle Fist moves. A palm thrust missed her smiling visage while her other palm slapped Rin's punch to the side. One side looked for the weaknesses in her chakra system, while the other prevented any successful counter-attacks from her enemy, but how long could this continue? Sakura felt a slight sensation in her legs and immediately expressed relief. Now she could move! It would be hard getting away without any chakra to enhance her speed, but this was a time for running, not whining. The question still remained—should she really abandon Hanabi? Without help, it was stupid to think of anything but failure if they continued.

Rin caught Hanabi's arms—the intention was to push her onto her knees and break her arms using her leg as leverage. The pale girl sensed it and activated her Jyuuken chakra while twisting her body. The circular motion of the divine whirl was too strong for her opponent, with Rin being thrown back by the violent momentum. Hanabi took this chance to put two more soldier pills in her mouth; the Mangekyou Sharingan finally became stable, though it her nerves received a violent stinging jolt. "Take this! Amatera—"

Her hate-filled little mouth halted abruptly. The chakra in her body ceased gathering in her eye and exited her passively. Her stomach was already nauseated and foam began to filter out of her mouth. All these wounds were sub-par when compared to the one in her right socket. At the exact instant that it erupted with blood, the exact second that she could no longer see from it, only one thought crossed her mind.

_Did…Did something just break?_

"Aaaah!!" Hanabi fell to her knees and began to claw at the Sharingan, desperate to separate the cursed crimson from her own. Her skin began to collect within her thick nails as the socket bled red. When she ran out of air to scream, her lip began to taste moist with liquid iron from biting into it too hard. Like a portrait of suffering illustrated by the brush of brutality, Hanabi's face was painted in blood. Rin smiled sweetly; walking up to Hanabi, she took the hand that was covering her right eye desperately and coaxed the girl softly.

"Do you want me to heal it? I am a very good medic Nin," she said, almost like an angel. However, she was balling up the Hyuuga's fist inside her own; she hugged Hinata who was desperately trying to move, desperately trying to keep this creature from staining her body further.

_Oto-sama…Nee-chan…N-Nii-san…_She suppressed the words in her mouth but yelled in her mind. _Help m—_

Sakura didn't know what Rin was planning until she clenched Hanabi's fist—and _broke it._

Using chakra tendrils, the demon vessel picked the screaming Hanabi up, lifting her higher and higher into the air, and then dropped her body onto the harsh metal hull. She had already lost consciousness, a fresh pool of blood coming out of her mouth. Rin lifted her up once more, and proceeded to drop her again; a few more snaps indicated that her shoulders and hip joints had given way.

Sakura watched in horror, unable to comprehend what to do, as Hanabi was dropped a third time. Great care was taken to ensure she didn't snap her neck, as indicated by the snapping of a few more ribs. Not willing to see her young savior dropped a fourth time, she flung a kunai at the psychotic woman. She caught it; her brown hair was brushed back once more, and she carefully let go of Hanabi. The pink-haired medic started to shake—what could she do with no chakra? No, this feeling wasn't from not being able to fight. Rather, what could be done against such madness? She wanted to cry but held on tightly to the wakizashi in her hands. After torturing her to death, most likely her opponent would go back and finish off the little Hyuuga. Nonetheless, if she had to die, she wouldn't let Rin have the pleasure of thinking it was easy. The shoto came closer to her chest; there was nothing wrong in protecting her body, was there? The metal was surprisingly warm, surprisingly comforting. As Rin, disappeared from her sight, to reappear in front of her, she quickly made to slice her neck open.

**--X--**

A few levels below the docking area, two opponents stood on a conveyor belt that was altering between bringing them closer to the raging furnace one second and sweeping them away the next. Tenten arranged it in such a way, since she wanted her opponent's motions to be put off by this constantly shifting surface. Such a thing was necessary for this could probably be one of the two people that Kakashi had told her about—one whose abilities he had no idea about. At least something like this, which she had trained on for the past weeks, could null any speed advantage her opponent may have. She wasn't in the mood to talk and she could sense that member no. 3 of the Dusk Squad wasn't the type either. His straight gaze indicated determination and a strong will, rather than the psychotic leer she had seen from the last member she fought against (and lost). She oriented her staff before her with both her hands; he kept his hand on the handle of his kitana and stood stationary. A pile of rubbish landed on the conveyor belt to her right; a glass piece must have been contained inside, for its shattering signaled the simultaneous lunge of both shinobi.

Tenten started by pushing her staff forward in several thrusts to try and incapacitate different points on her enemy's throat. Each attack was futile, as even without drawing his blade, he managed to avoid them all. Suddenly, the middle conveyor belt the two were fighting on changed directions and started moving towards the furnace while the one to her left moved away from it. With a single step, Tenten leapt on to the left belt and used her free leg to spin her staff, containing all the momentum of her upper body and the speed of her lower body, into the Dusk Squad member's abdomen. His weapon finally made its long awaited debut as the surface of the sword stopped her attack dead. A slight hint of confusion overcame the Weapon Mistress but the next attack stopped her pondering. He made to kick her head from the right, which she blocked with her staff. Using her muscular strength, she pushed his leg off and spun on her left leg to meet his second kick; taking the same idea from her, he had used the reverse momentum to spin into another kick. Their shins collided hardly but before he could back off, Tenten, hooked her ankle on to his and used chakra to hold it in place, preventing him from escaping. The conveyor belts now started to uniformly move in one direction, away from the furnace, as Tenten started swinging her staff, alternating between left and right strikes. Surprisingly, her opponent evaded them all. Some thing about the way he was moving about the strikes brought back an unpleasant familiarity. With some measure of agility, she spun her staff and rotated her waist forward and backward, the velocity from the rotation increasing the speed and unpredictability of her strikes, and lashed out at the Dusk Squad member with a renewed arsenal of thrusts, strikes and clubbing blows to the head and ribs. Nonetheless, she found it hard to hit him; what little attacks registered were stopped by his rapid blade.

Tenten tried to regroup by breaking off from her enemy but now, she found it was him who was keeping her in place using his chakra. Struggling wildly, Tenten tried to get loose; he released her as soon as the conveyor belt they were on changed directions, causing the brown-haired girl to stumble backwards. With some frustration, Tenten bounded at member no. 3, who stood waiting for her to strike, his hand on the handle of his guard-less weapon. The steps happened in an instant.

Tenten stumbled forward, before falling to her knees and coughing up some blood. _He split my staff right through the middle, _she thought with pain as she remembered dropping the rapidly splitting wood before the sword could cut through her wrists and sever her hands. A blunt strike from his handle had been buried into her abdomen immediately after. But a more pressing question flickered in her bright brown orbs as she looked back at her enemy. He still had his back to her, and his sword was now comfortably within its sheath. Carefully, he turned around and on seeing Tenten return to her feet, his clutched the handle of his weapon once more, waiting for her to make the next move. _Why…_

"Why can't I see his sword?" she muttered below her breath. _Was it too fast, or is he a master of Battoujutsu? Could it be that he's using an invisibility jutsu to conceal the blade? Is he distracting my eyes towards his sword while he attacks with a different weapon or jutsu? _Now it came back to her: That time on the Hokage Monument, she had been struck by a similar weapon, one she couldn't see or sense in the confusion of her weaponry's ballet. There was no mistaking it now. The one who had stabbed her clean through the abdomen, his sharp blade making a clean 2 inch slit through her body and leading out of her back, was him.

Returning to a stable vertical base, Tenten unrolled the scroll attached to her lower leg and summoned the twin kitars contained within it. Crossing the blades, she eyes her enemy determinedly. _I must find some way to stop his blade otherwise I won't be able to know his secret. _Her foe stood passive as revenge slowly began to cloud her ambitions, but she shook it off.

Since he was waiting for her to make the next move, the Weapon Mistress obliged by moving towards him and then cross-slashing his head; hitting nothing but air, she spun the blades around and met his uppercut slash using the wide, pointed handles of the kitars. It was then that his sword's secret was revealed to her and she leapt back from him. He didn't bother following through and only waited with his hand ready to strike again should she try to fight him.

"You crafted the blade out of silk," she said plainly. "Amazing work. Melting the fabric, melding it and then skillfully forging it into a blade. It's strong enough to avoid breakage yet transparent enough that your enemy can't see the next attack coming." _The rest of his moves must involve quick sword drawing. That's the only way the sword could move so fast that it becomes invisible to the naked eye. _On hearing her news, member no. 3 didn't react. Visibly it appeared it hadn't affected him one bit.

"When you stabbed me through the chest that time, I thought, 'Some one more skilled at weapons than I has finally appeared'. I've been training for the past weeks," she said with some sadness as her brow was encased in sweat. She thought of the white she was now wearing, and the man in whose memory it was for. "I've been training to defeat one of you and protect the people of this ship. Maybe deep down inside, I just wanted to face you again? You were the one who inspired such hatred in me, and that hatred I've turned into strength. I wonder if that means anything to some one like you," concluded Tenten, pointing her left kitar at him.

He couldn't help but notice her weapon hands tightening. Her wrists were shaking but not from fear.

"There is something you must do," he said abruptly. His husky, deep voice betrayed his bony form; she couldn't help but wonder just how old he was. "That is all it means to me. For one who has put transformed her emotion in order to fight me, I will entertain you with my name, which I had forsaken not too long ago in the name of shinobi."

_His name?_

"Please refer to me from now on as Makoto Shuga," he said, taking a finer stance, as he kneeled slightly, shifting his body's weight onto his left foot. "I would be more than happy if you could decipher the real origin off my technique, Miss…?"

"Tenten," said the kunoichi as she dispelled the kitars. The scraping of his right foot was her signal to take the initiative. Tenten unrolled a medium-sized scroll kept behind her waist. Spinning it around her skillfully, she summoned about 25 weapons to attack her foe at once while she controlled their strikes using her manipulation of chakra strings. The various daggers, wakizashi, katanas, scythes, sickles, and other tools glistened in the fire of the flame for one second before moving towards her enemy. She observed his movements carefully in order to look for an opening by which she could hit him at a safe distance. Stoically, he faced the weapons, unsheathing a small portion of his sword.

Tenten could sense her weapons being repelled but was unable to keep track of it since the slashes were tearing up a cloud of dust from the debris around her. It was only when she decided to fight by feel that surprise dawned on her: None of the weapons were responding to the movements of her fingers. Emerging from the smoke, Shuga had his sword poised and ready to strike. With no time to lose, Tenten resummoned her kitars as he began to slash at her rapidly. Her twin weapons didn't even feel like they were slowing his attacks. She crossed them over her chest, close to her neck whilst she bent her head down in order to protect her rib cage, heart, and jugular. She could have sliced her own head off if she was careless, but minimizing the biting pain from the cold, incredibly sharp sword was the only thing she could think of at the time.

"_It's hard to depend on just ranged attacks when you're fighting you know," said Neji as he sat meditating with his back to a tree as Tenten was busy finishing up her throwing practice. She sat down in front of him with her face in a scowl. Though a bit irritated when others pointed it out, Tenten never showed too much anger when Neji would tell her about her reliance on projectiles. Probably because he always gave valid points for his argument; she pondered this as she admired his hair that had grown even longer after they both completed their second Chuunin exam. Keeping it open was her suggestion—one she didn't think _the _Hyuuga Neji would be inclined to follow but within minutes of receiving his flak vest, he sported his new hairstyle to her with a smile._

_Ignoring the subtle rosy feeling of butterflies within her stomach, she heard his next statement. "What do you expect to do when you fight some one like that woman from the Sand again?"_

_Temari easily repelled all of Tenten's attacks using her fan, but it wasn't for her not trying. "Well, what do you suggest I should do then? It's not like I can think of strategies for fighting opponents like that on the fly…"_

"_I bet you could," he said as he stood to practice some of his Gentle Fist katas. "You just have to do a few things differently."_

The cuts on her arms and legs were multiplying with each passing second. The buns she tied her hair into came loose and her open locks were now being ripped apart. The exchange of strength for pain was rapid—the cut on her cheek happened once she lowered her weapons for an instant. Forming some more chakra threads, she caught hold of some of the weapons and debris on the floor and dragged it towards her opponent while she made her get-away. That blade that was flashing so many times in front of her; the incredible speed by which it was cutting down everything in its path. It all made sense to her now.

Upon gathering enough distance, Tenten threw down several smoke bombs to obscure the area around them. Picking up a scythe amongst the fallen weapons, she heaved it at Shuga and leapt up to the ceiling, trying her best to match speeds with it. When it finally reached its target and the tell-tale sound of metal on metal was heard, she propelled off and threw a dozen senbon at its general direction. She could make out a few of them being repelled but wasn't willing to compromise. With one burst of chakra, she increased her speed enough to make for a few weapons lying on the floor next to the smoke.

_He created his sword from silk in order to increase its sharpness, not to decrease its visibility. His blade is actually a chakra blade, and the chakra he's using to make it and his hand lightning quick…_

_He's recomposing Body Flicker chakra and concentrating it into his sword! _A ninja whose inhuman speed was deadly for field missions and in open-area combat, but a sword having the same speed was even more dangerous. _And, _thought Tenten mentally chiding herself, _in a closed area like this even more so. But he can't hit what he can't see, and as long as I keep pressuring him—_

Her hands barely grazed a dagger when a long lash of light emerged from where the Dusk Squad member was standing. Tenten avoided the strike in time and found that the silk sword had elongated into one long whip containing compound joints and spreading over several meters. Crashing against the other rubble and then smashing against a conveyor belt, nearly uprooting the contraption in the process, the sword mimicked its wielder's blindness. But despite the decreased speed, its increased momentum concentrated into a single lash spelt nothing but doom for any on the receiving end.

The Weapon Mistress unrolled another medium-sized scroll--one containing up to 59 kunai. With the long roll of fabric in one hand, her free hand heaving several objects in the room against her enemy's strikes using chakra strings whilst her lean body barely maneuvered through the chaos, the fight had reached its turning point. With a few seals, a wall of kunai materialized out of thin air; landing on one end of the corridor, the multi-tipped jutsu occupied the entire space. With a flick of her wrist, she sent a few more objects into the smoke and once Shuga had destroyed these, at the exact second of the 'click' of his retracting whip-blade, the kunai were zeroing in on him in one straight line. Despite the tact Tenten displayed, she didn't count on the belts switching directions and the smoke and the enemy being slightly yet workably sifted out. His swordsman skills made use of his present stance, the whip stretching out in a sliver hurricane of protection. And the fatal jutsu was reduced to little more than a pile of metal toys.

"No!" The words escaped helplessly; one more sliver of hope lost. Pre-existing threads were cut off; existing ones became multiplied. A collective clattering started around her oppressor's feet, as she pulled her tools back, the rough tugging of her arms revealing her next hand. Spinning the spiral of silk and glass faster and faster, reducing the surrounding light to sashimi, his spinning whip was directed towards her. This time the kunai had been reduced to shards, as the whip swathed her body.

The joints and various edges were already cutting into her flesh. She let out a cry of pain; one of her tricep muscles had been cut wide open. The main artery in her leg was being penetrated as well. Not content on straggling her, Shuga lifted her up, tossed her against the adjacent wall and heaved her bloody body onto the belts. With a crash and another shift of direction for the conveyor, she lay, beaten, moving casually into an incinerator, a dull light setting into her eyes. Her legs could only manage a few jerks. Exhaustion was setting in, and her parched throat cried for water the closer she got to the burning heat.

_Dammit. Damn it all…_That fate that Neji always kept babbling about in their early days as Genin was finally bearing down on her. The game that her opponent had played with her was now over, and she had lost. _If only I was faster…If I only I was just…_

Shuga turned around and started to leave. His opponent was clearly in no condition to go any further. "Your defeat back then was not undisputed. But I'm afraid your second try has now settled that." His hand leaving his trusty partner's handle only emphasized on that last sentence with a full-stop. There was simply no nicer way of breaking the news—this was the summation of her final challenge to him.

"_Too fast," she said in between her breaths. _

"_A jutsu like the Body Flicker is common for many shinobi nowadays, and it's certain that the Dusk Squad will also possess it," mulled the Copy Ninja as he lowered his kunai. He brought his other hand up to scratch his hair, though the itch to return to the hard-bound ero-book in his vest was undeniable. "It's a shame there's not enough time for you to learn it."_

"_But there must be some way! How can I increase my speed without having to rely on chakra?" She had to do something, anything in order to fulfill her role within the team. If she couldn't down an opponent because of her own inability, then it only reinforced how weak she was. And how much she over-estimated her own resolve. If only Neji or Gai-sensei were there…_

"_Ah, well there is another way," mulled Kakashi as he rolled his eyes upwards and thought carefully. "And if you possess the proper skills and stamina, you may have enough time to even train with it."_

"_Another way?" repeated the Weapon Mistress, taking one last breath before standing straight up again._

"_Actually, Tenten-san, I often asked Gai what was his basis for taking on a Genin team such as yours. I would discuss why it seemed out of place that two of your team should be strictly close-combat specialists while you were strictly a long-range fighter. He laughed it off and told me that you each held an inner potential, one that no other team had in the academy. That potential to master one of the most powerful and demanding techniques of the shinobi world was displayed the most within you three, and he was quick enough to get you before any one else…" He closed his one free eye and smiled nervously. "That's what he said, but I think he just wanted some one who could learn his moves without falling apart."_

Tenten closed her eyes and focused with all her soul, praying that this would work. Along with taking five days to learn it, she had only trained with it for three days. Her body was tougher than before because of her constant training with the technique but this didn't guarantee zero repercussions in her damaged state.

"_I'm not sure if even Neji had taken the time to try it…"_

The energy within her began to swell. The air around her was getting hotter as she drew closer to the furnace.

Her legs suddenly experienced a humongous jolt. In one resounding motion, she could feel her body becoming her own again. And power that she had felt a hundred times but which never made itself so much more apparent as now began to fill her veins to the brim. Shuga, sensing this change, stopped in his tracks and glanced at Tenten before turning around and taking his stance again. Her skin reddened; the blood vessels within her constricted tightly; her eyes only revealed their whites. How in control of her body was she? Everything seemed to be breathing with a life of its own, any insignificant noise becoming as miniscule as the thin layer of ash particles choking the corridor. Her entire will reset on fighting. Tenten, with her arms at her sides, looked upon her enemy, her damaged joints popping uneasily.

_Initial Gate, open_!

The frayed ends of her hair beat against her cheeks, but the sensation of concern was beyond her wits at the moment. Shuga finally unsheathed his silk sword in plain sight and began to slash wildly at Tenten. A total wave of 200 slashes came at her steady frame but she never once showed any movement. He thought her saw her features ripple as the attack harmlessly deflected against the walls and furnace. Disbelief pervaded him momentarily as she suddenly appeared to his side and back-handed his stomach with her closed fist. A rapid series of similar blows followed; the conveyor belt shifted directions, moving away from the furnace. Tenten followed its velocity, continuously bashing Shuga and finally ending the combo with a kick to his head. The Dusk Squad member ducked at the right moment, and aimed a rapid sword stab at her stomach, just like before. After all, she was unarmed. And there was no way she could dodge or stop the blade without suffering limb loss. Though ashamed that he had to let it end like this, Shuga spurred forth.

However, his sword suddenly stopped. He looked at Tenten, whose expression was unchanged and then to his struggling handle.

There, nudged safely between her index and middle fingers was the tip of the blade. No further advance was possible, as her strength was keeping it in place. Now was the time to get serious, and even if it couldn't be expressed through words, she sensed them all the same. Unraveling the whip sword to catch her by surprise did nothing as Tenten appeared once more behind Shuga, clutching two scrolls in each hand. With a few hand seals, she spun them in her palms to initiate her final and most powerful attack, the Twin Rising Dragons. He had heard of this move before, and observed her rapid motions from the corner of his eye, but how was she planning on using it when she couldn't spring up and away into the air?

The impact resounded against his chest. Tenten had just shoved her palms into his body, while keeping her weapon scrolls wrapped between her thumbs. The long rolls of paper shot out and formed a horizontal spiraling motion that shot past Shuga like a typhoon. His time to admire her tenacity was short; he looked from the reams and saw a total of 20 of her before him. He wasn't intimidated though and orienting his quick sword, he began slashing wildly at each and every one of the bodies, waiting to find the solid one.

When Tenten landed a good distance away from him, he was panting openly. Removing one weapon after another from the length of the scrolls, slashing him continuously, she had successfully pierced his right shoulder. A berserk-like quick attack never did suit him with so many wasted motions. The pile of dormant daggers at his feet had now been incremented. Death wasn't something that suited him either it seemed.

She remained in that stance, one knee on the floor, one hugging her chest, and her arms outstretched. Everything was becoming dizzier than before; funny how the pain in her body was only escalating. The cut in her chest didn't feel deep, and it was the only wound she suffered from using the reckless jutsu. She wanted him to fall, her eyes couldn't quite tell how many daggers he had in him, but it was enough to kill him, right? Tenten turned around in time to see his chakra-drained body walking towards her. Why was that noble sword of his now baying like a banshee for her blood? It was bearing down on her senses, but moving was impossible. All her strength had exploded and her body was little more than the remaining ashes of the fuse. He raised the silken beast up and prepared to feast on her innards; a single desire erupted within her, one that screamed to live, and before she knew how to answer, she pulled on the chakra strings still attached to the daggers, a red aura flared around her again, and it all entangled Shuga. The dormant spring force unraveled his body at a high speed over her head and towards the end of the hallway, as the impact caused a huge dent to appear in its composition. All the bones in his back broke, and one sudden movement meant he would be dead. Spread upside down with his arms to his side and his legs buried in the sharp metal steel, several jagged edges which were already jutting out, his mask slid off his face.

Tenten fainted, the power of using a second Celestial Gate finally giving a handle to the hammer of her exhaustion. Falling to her knees and slowly onto her side with her tricep feeling the most pain, the world faded. Shuga smiled at her, mouthing something that sounded like, 'Take it' and let his silk chakra blade slide on to the conveyor belt. His brown orbs gave her one last imploring look before they shut forever.

The Weapon Mistress wished for a victory like this—one that had been obtained through dedication and hard work, and a heaping of ferocity. Her white attire had already been ruined by the innumerable cuts she had suffered from Shuga's lightning fast sword; nonetheless, a smile adorned her before she slept. The conveyor belt shifted directions once more with the remaining vestiges of her body slowly moving towards the bustling furnace. Her entire world was going black. More tears flowed through her pursed lashes and down her cheeks. Earlier, she held back from the itching caused by their intermixing with the existing dirt and dust.

As much as she felt his presence was there, it wasn't. That elusive smile would always remain with her chasing after it forever and ever. Her life's goal was dictated by his happiness, but how would she know that he received it?

So long as it reached him, it was okay. Even if it did, and she thought it didn't, whether she was battle-ravaged, gripping insanity or breaking with sadness, she would continue to try. That brief moment of her strength that defined the line between life and death—no matter how many more times, she would show it to him, all for one smile.

With that heavenly thought floating through her soul and her love for Neji comforting her dreams, she rolled quietly towards her death.

**--X--**

**Lower Hangar Area, FAF Haven**

The area had been meant to function as a route for individuals to leave the ship, via a long metal ramp, whenever it had landed. Any supplies stored in the Haven's various depots, including the hangar area near the large, open docking area overlooked by the bridge, usually passed through here in order to get onto the ship. As such security measures were moderate—it was always assumed that any enemy would be dispatched by the automatic guns on the outside.

Even though they didn't know the reason, the main force of the Konoha shinobi, various members of the Hittori and Otogakure ANBU were busy fending off the attacks by the Akatsuki mercenaries that weren't eliminated by the sentry guns outside. Mitarishi Anko, Umino Iruka, Morino Ibiki, Uzuki Yugao and about 21 others had about 70 shinobi as their opponents. They had already erected a barrier of various wreckage and crates that was on the verge of crumbling. Anko screamed out over the din, attempting to ascertain the situation.

"Where the hell is our back-up?! I thought Kakashi was gonna come down when he finished! And where are those Sound siblings every one keeps rattling about?! I don't see them anywhere!" An enemy attempted to leap over the barrier, embedding a kunai in her shoulder. "Why you…" replied Anko angrily before hefting the man up with numerous snakes and crushing his swiftly poisoned neck.

"Genma and Raidou are on their way," said Iruka, relaying communications from the main bridge. "It seems they had a few opponents to take care of but they still have a small force left to help us with! Kakashi hasn't reported at the scheduled time and can't be located according to Maxi-san!"

Ibiki looked out over the barrier and heaved a few shuriken with exploding tags at the enemy's location. The various shinobi scattered but the smoke and fire brought them some cover. He looked out for any other surprise attacks before turning to his comrades. "Hokage-sama and Jiraiya-sama said they had some business to attend to at the top. More fun for us," he said with a cocky grin.

"Fun?!" Anko pointed to her various wounds, besides the new one in her shoulder. "You call this the result of 'fun'?! If we get outta this alive, I'm gonna poison your meals from now on, Ibiki!!" The Special Jounin's voice halted upon the appearance of five individuals, all donned in blue outfits and wearing masks. With a dash, they appeared before Iruka, crouching so as to avoid any detection. The woman with the purple hair, who the academy teacher identified as Yugao, looked to him and spoke.

"Root ANBU are still engaging the enemy. We have lost three more allies. That brings our number down to 22. The enemy's remaining numbers are undetermined." Yugao proceeded to hand out supplies to her comrades to make another rush before looking to Iruka again and commenting with some worry. "We won't be able to engage them after this. At best, we can buy 5 more minutes on this round." And with those final words, Yugao disappeared with a flicker, ready to continue fighting.

_Either way you look at it, we're just barely hanging on, _thought Iruka as he gritted his teeth. _I wish I could say we we're stronger, but aside from the ANBU, no one here is even close to Kakashi's level in strength. It seems we'll have to buy as much time as much as possible. _The Chuunin readied some smoke bombs to heave into the enemy side, but various noises rang out. Accompanying them were the screams of their companions. Iruka tired to see what was going on but was suddenly offset by the reappearance of an injured Yugao and one barely alive member of her unit perforated with holes.

"What happened? That wasn't even five seconds, oi!" shouted Anko. Ibiki shook her carefully and both gazed at their enemies once more. The remaining smoke cleared up and even Iruka thought his eyes were deceiving him. At the front, just several meters away from their barricade, they could see about 30 ninjas of the Akatsuki, each wielding strange contraptions. They looked like long barrels of wood with a small hole at the end, from which smoke was being emitted.

**--X--**

Over the security cameras that spread throughout the ship and relayed back to the bridge, the brazen Maxi yelled in anger.

"It's finally happened," he shouted, despair and rage threatening to overtake his bratty mask of humor. The personnel, recovering from the shock that was Sakura and Hanabi's battle with Rin, couldn't help but run over to his station. Surprise was an understatement in this case—disbelief was beginning to spread in their collective conscience at an alarming rate.

Maxi took one last look at the screen before heading for the door to confirm his order with the Hokage. "The Akatsuki have finally taken over Yukigakure," he remarked, the muffled pounding of the ninja's rifles echoing throughout the bridge.

**--X--**

"What the hell are those?" Anko made to heave six shuriken at the new enemies that appeared, but a bullet hit her square in the hand, causing her to recoil in pain.

She dropped her projectiles howling, as Ibiki fetched some bandages out. The barricade was crumbling rather quicker than usual—the rounds being of the armor piercing nature—as the shinobi tumbled several more boxes and rubbish to reinforce it. Through a little chink in the barrier, Iruka made out a large weapon being wheeled in; its multitude of barrels was aimed right at him as he yelled at everyone to duck. Inevitable scores of dust and shards of objects were thrown up. The chain-like rumbling of that primitive Gatling gun, one of the Snow Country's older though still lethal weapons, was like a demonic melody being played out, wishes of death being concealed in its hymns and rhythms. Many of the ninja who were fighting, but not directly before the cannon screamed out upon being marked by the different rifles. Their corpses were riddled with lead, but the ones who were caught by the Gatling gun were unfortunate to be chopped apart, pure disintegration following those whose bodies were right in front of it. In this mess of red mist and suffering, Yugao was still counting the numbers, her assassin's senses keeping track of the differences in screams. The number had been brought down from 22 to about 10 in less than five minutes. And those that were left were the proverbial fish in a barrel bereft of any water.

"Those weapons are too powerful!" screamed Iruka. He clenched the corner of his left eye where a stray bullet had landed.

"They seem to operate off of some kind of small, metal projectiles." Yugao removed her mask and observed the fallen bullet at her feet. She then looked out at whatever she could of the artillery squad. "Though each of them seems to be of different make and loaded into different types of their weapons, the principle is still the same. Unless we have a heavy defense shinobi who can provide us cover, we will have a hard time stopping their attacks."

Anko cursed quietly, her right hand quivering. Good thing she was left-handed—else she'd never be able to move a pen, let-alone a kunai again. "Even if they get here, our allies won't be able to do much. Is this it for us?" To let it all end like this wasn't in her plans for life, but nothing much could be done aside from waiting for the bullets to finish tearing the barrier apart before it concentrated on their bodies. As if signaling her desire, the intensity of firepower increased. The Akatsuki gunners took a minute to replenish their ammo, fully aware that only a paper-thin layer of refuge lay between them and victory.

None of them were half-expecting an enormous mass of wood to burst through the wall to their right and spread forward so rapidly as to blast right past the wall before it. The structure itself was thick; like an enormous Bunyan, it shielded the shinobi of Konoha and Oto with its body. Anko, Iruka and Ibiki, after recovering from the shock that the mass of elemental earth and water had combined to create, gazed upon it with confusion. Yugao smiled to herself, relieved that _they _had finally arrived.

Despite the new-found protection that had been borne from outside interference, the Akatsuki Nin resumed firing at once. The bullets cut into the wood but were unable to bypass its thick trunk. The allied ninja of the Haven could see nothing; the echoes of bullets only caused them to get down. The firing stopped once more. And this time, it was because of a strange, old man wrapped in bandages and dressed in a dilapidated hakama perched on one of the branches of the trunk, as he eyed the enemy with laconic seriousness.

"Interesting weaponry, indeed," he commented, clasping the blunt end of his walking staff and pulling it upwards. The hidden sword now in full view, the rifles aimed at the aged challenger. Before the hail of lead could injure him, the scrapping of his sandals as he passed by them was heard. The soldiers turned around and expressing some anger took aim once more.

"For your information," said Danzo as he sheathed his blade. In the exact same moment, their weapons had been split in the center all the way from barrel upwards while the enemies' chests, arms and necks had been slashed open, the rain of red splotches missing him very neatly. He turned around and looked at the deceased as he finished, "Root is not to be taken lightly."

The other soldiers began to gather for attacking the Root leader. As they let loose with more bullets, another shield seemed to block their attempts. But this one was different. For one, their bullets didn't pierce it, and they actually seemed to bounce off of its fleshy mass. And… was that actually laughing they were hearing just now? On looking up, they were met with the scariest thing they thought they had ever seen.

Chouji, grown to four times his original mass, with his round, innocent face was smiling down at them. "Hi!" he said enthusiastically.

If anything wasn't scarier than a friendly enemy, then it at least would have qualified as something very, _very_ aggravating. Regaining their guile, the remaining forces took aim at Chouji's humongous mass and opened fire. The sensation did little more than tickle the healthy lad as he begged them to stop with tears in his eyes. Those two distractions were enough to throw off the attackers as they had to reload their weapons again. A hefty Akatsuki Nin who burst in with an enormous cudgel earlier had taken the gatling gun in his arms, throwing the ammo strip over his shoulder as he prepared to riddle the Akimichi mercilessly. Danzo unsheathed his stick-sword once again to attack, but relaxed upon the presence of their final attacker.

"Double Penetrating Fang!" screamed Kiba as his sharp claws tore the cannon apart while Akamaru's ripped into the man's back. The two retreated to opposite sides of the room and once Kiba had deployed the smoke bombs, began to dismember their enemy with a successive series of Penetrating Fangs. Kiba landed on his canine's back as it shifted back into its wolf form. Akamaru's red shades still persisted as he barked excitedly, Kiba grinning viciously at their handiwork. When the smoke had cleared, the large man had most of his outer features rearranged, and fell with a great thud from all the damage.

By now, most of the Akatsuki were beginning to feel the futility of fighting any longer. And despite the protective feeling they were supposed to be having with the arsenal in their hands, there was collective pondering on what to do next. From the wood, Yamato's outline melded outwards; Kiba and Akamaru landed right next to Danzo as Chouji crossed his arms and looked at the remainder of the enemies with a confident grin. The other Konoha shinobi clambered over the wooden trunk and joined up with the militaristic commander—for once, they were eager to place their trust in him. For her part, Yugao bowed down on one knee and addressed the elderly man reverently.

"Danzo-sama, it is good to have you here with us," she said, her tone not one bit different from before. He gave a nod to her to continue. "May I ask where Sai-san is?"

"Sai…" His blade retreated into its hilt; the tip of his walking stick hit the floor as he rested both hands on it. "My student went his own way into the dessert. He is desirous to intercept one of the Akatsuki commanders by himself. I would not worry however," he said, just in case Yugao was ready to request sending back-up. "Today, I have even given him permission to use his masterpiece, so it shall it be fine."

"Hai. Excuse me then," she said, before standing upright.

The Konoha ninjas waited for the next Akatsuki attack. Unsurprisingly, it never came.

"Order to all shinobi: Crush the enemy without mercy." Danzo's final words were heard from behind some enemies. Their arms fell apart as before; the fighting began once more in full force.

**--X--**

"_**So much depended on you and look at you now! Ha! So I couldn't eliminate your soul once and for all…Big deal!"**_

_The young blonde's body remained hovering in the air, as when one attends a magic show containing the mysterious 'levitating woman' trick. Tiny ripples in the dark water were made as he moved up and down at a rhythmic pace, the motions mirroring his heart beat._

"_**The next time you try to use my power,"**__ said the demon fox, as its deadly visage neared the cage and glared angrily at the young Uzumaki from behind his unrequested fortifications. __**"I will drag you down. I will drag you down to the very depths of hell and make you suffer more than you can ever imagine. And after I finish you for good and take your body for my own, the first thing I'll do is consume that little woman of yours after ravaging her body for days and days! And I'll make sure to keep my face as normal and composed as possible…Hell, I'll even call her ' Sakura-chan'. All for the pleasure of her knowing that…**_

_**"The one who loved her violated every fiber of her being!!"**_

_The demon howled madly with its vicious laughter ringing through the metal bars. Yet, Naruto lay there, impassive, unaware of what was happening or how to wake up._

"_Naruto…"_

_However at that instant, he began to feel something. It was a feeling he hadn't remembered for a long time or for what seemed like a long time. The nerves in his body began to react slightly to the musty sewer-like arena. Not much was making sense but he felt like some kind of light was shining on him and lifting him up into the clouds where he could find peace. At first, his heart resisted, unwilling to leave this world until his friends were safe and sound. If anything, he would will himself awake if he had to. _

"_Naruto…"_

_Anything to wake up and prove that he would protect everyone. If only for one last time, he would show everyone that he wasn't only one to rely on when brute strength and power were needed, but also on kindness and presence of heart when it mattered the most. Yet no matter how much he craved it, he just couldn't bring himself to get up, let alone reactivate his senses for sight, smell, touch and sound. It was only his sensation of feeling that allowed him to foretell of a presence in the depths of his mind, one that wasn't his or Kyuubi's. Something powerful yet familiar. Almost like another half of his, the memory of which originated a long, long time ago. _

"_It's okay Naruto," said the man as he laid his hand on the boy's face. "Just…do your best…Okay?" He smiled upon seeing the boy's twitching eyes and nose and began to walk away, the shadows re-emerging to veil his body as his white cape trailed him obediently. _

--------

_In the infirmary where Kisame and Deidara had carried out their assault, many of the patients were being reorganized. The threat of Akatsuki wasn't gone by a long shot, and just because two of their main commanders had been neutralized didn't mean no more of the foul ninjas of the dawn would threaten them. At times for Kamia-sensei, head doctor from the village of Sound, it felt like the lull before the storm. However, maintaining his cool was of utmost importance in situations like this where it could be better spent on helping one's patients. Misaki had already done her part to help Ino, whose massive blood loss facilitated her re-entry into the Intensive Care Unit, and had left to assist her elder brother, Shirow in fighting Kisame. He knew for a fact that the former member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist was dangerous, and since he joined Akatsuki it seemed his powers only increased for the past several years or so. How the two Oto siblings were capable of beating, much less injuring such a ravenous specimen of nature was beyond his understanding of the skills of a shinobi._

_Here I am getting ahead of myself again, he thought with some trepidation. It must have been that he was both scared out of his wits and scarred for life upon witnessing the brutality of Akatsuki. He peered at the hole made in the floor by the fighting between the eldest Hittori and the ravenous blue shark, unsure of where they were or who the victor was in their overpowering fight to the death._

"_Yo doc," said someone who promptly emerged from the opening with a wave and a smirk. The old man immediately recoiled but as he readjusted his gaze towards the forehead, he discerned that the man before him was an ally. "Ah, sorry about that. Wanted to take the elevator but the damn thing is down. In more ways than one," Fiddling with the new senbon he had placed between his teeth, Genma emerged from the hole and looked around. _

_For better or worse this place doesn't look like it suffered any causality. Only hope I'm right this time, he thought to himself sternly, reminded of his bet to some of the Jounin that Akatsuki's forces wouldn't last ten minutes against the village when they showed their faces in the Fire Country. To him obviously, there was a limit to how many bets he was willing to lose in one month._

"_Sensei!" Another man with some bandages partially wrapped around his head leapt out of the hole after sensing if any hostile chakra were nearby. Straightening himself upon realizing the safety of the area, Raidou looked at Kamia in the eye. "Sorry we're late! Our main forces are still engaged with the rogue ninjas but we managed to break through. Any casualties or injuries?" _

"_I wish I could say there weren't but…" he said as he lowered his head, more out of sadness than shame. "Yamanaka Ino-san…had her wound reopened. Her condition is critical right now, but we are doing everything possible to save her life."_

_The two partners looked from one to the other before Raidou placed a hand on the doctor's shoulder and gave him an encouraging smile. "Please try to relax, sensei. As long as you fulfill your part, that will be enough for us. And for Ino-san as well."_

"_Judging by the path of destruction, I'm guessing that Hoshigake Kisame came through here, didn't he?" The crestfallen expression and slight nod of Kamia was all the confirmation required. No doubt that blue freak hurt Ino-san but as long we wait for the others to finish their battles, we should be just about fine, thought Genma as he looked around at the nurses tending to the injured and the other doctors rushing back and forth between different rooms. One certain room caught his attention as he motioned to Raidou to follow him. "Sensei, which room is this?" he asked the man while pointing to the 'No Unauthorized Personnel' sign taped onto the door. _

"_Ah, that," he said upon readjusting his glasses once more. "I'm not really sure. No one but Hokage-sama was ever allowed in there, on the pretense that it was unsafe. I'm sure I saw Haruno-san enter a few times and on one occasion with Misaki-dono. Other than that, though…"_

_Genma was already busy trying to pick the lock while Raidou checked for any traps. It wasn't likely that Tsunade would try to punish people for entering unbeknownst to her; a precaution would have been in place most likely when the ship was invaded. However, they were more than a little surprised when they found the door slide open on its own. Initial reactions over, the two settled down and became ecstatic._

"_Anno," said Kamia as he looked at the person before him, who only had a long scar on his chest and an odd white coat with no sleeves and colored with various red flame designs aside from the normal ANBU trousers and combat boots. "Who is that person?"_

"_The cavalry," said Genma with an arrogant smirk. His chances for scoring a few hundred more Ryo just went up by who knows how many points._

His cape fluttered with the wind and he clenched his fists. His eyes reflected a half-angry, half-calm gaze as their cerulean shades bore down on Rin. The forehead protector, bearing the sign of the Leaf he was still proud of even after so much suffering, tied his blonde hair in place. Behind him lay Sakura, cradling Hanabi in arms, healing her in separate intervals. The roughly 18 inch dagger, with a single drop of blood on its sharp end, rest split in half; Rin had a new injury, a spiral shaped scar on her cheek that was close to disappearing. Nap-time was over—and the time to resume where he left off had commenced.

"Ah, what a surprise. I was just about to come looking for you…"

Slowly with some degree of preparedness that had been lacking when she received the wound, Rin welcomed his presence.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

"Sakura-chan." Naruto didn't take his eyes off of Rin. "Can you move very well?"

The pink-haired medic immediately snapped to attention. "A-Ah…"

"Take Hanabi and get to a safer place as quickly as possible. Don't interfere in this fight no matter what. Things are about to get a little crazy." One tail of chakra formed rapidly behind Naruto, the air twisting from the howling of the crimson chakra.

"Ara, trying to use the Kyuubi's power already? I figured you would at least show me what skills you possess on your own…"

"I'm not quite sure who or what you are," said Naruto, his fangs elongating and whiskers becoming more prominent. "From what I gather so far, you're with Akatsuki, and you're a jinchuuriki, a strong one at that. And here we all thought they don't keep their targets alive."

"Ah yes." Bringing a hand to her cheek as her voice become more arrogant and dreamy, Rin continued. "That is correct. I'm a bit special though. It's simply amazing how you're be able to maintain your stature under the influence of your demon, since Nee-chan always saw you go berserk in that state. You've finally fulfilled the village's role of being a living weapon, haven't you, Uzumaki-san?"

"As long as I protect the ones I care about, I don't care what any one calls me. Isn't that why you're a part of Akatsuki? Because you want to protect some one precious to you? I wouldn't imagine them keeping you alive if you didn't have that kind of determination. 'Course, serving as a 'living weapon' for them takes you places. Presumably."

"I wonder…" Her chakra raised in response to Naruto's, its gray aura encasing her body. "The more precious my person is to me, the stronger my will may be right?" Flicking some of her hair back and snickering rather audibly at the thought, she retorted. "Who put all that stuff into your head, I wonder? Things like that can't possibly make a shinobi powerful. And calling me a weapon is a little harsh…"

Sakura picked up Hanabi in her arms and started to back away slowly towards the hangar door. "N-Naruto, be careful. This woman…She's crazy…She's…"

"Sakura-chan," replied Naruto in a voice she had never heard before. The venom in it startled her. That's right; when he rescued her from both Rin and her own cowardice, he hadn't said a word to her. Not when she wept bitterly in his embrace either. Like a sponge statue that absorbed the torrent of her sadness.

She wanted to protect her friend, but how much had she actually done so? For the past few weeks actually what had been transpiring in that head of his? Could it have finally happened, in those moments she cried and asked him to come back to her? Did the Kyuubi no Kitsune, Naruto's worst nemesis and greatest ally, finally succeed in breaking his spirit? Did she lose the one she had grown up with as a shinobi? Had he finally changed? "N-Naruto…You…"

"Who do you think I am?" He flashed his trademark grin that rivaled the setting sun. "Don't tell me you forgot that I'm going to be the next Hokage? Don't worry about me and just get moving. You two have done more than enough; just leave this crazy chick to me." The blonde took a stance against Rin who stood waiting for the first attack to come. Sakura also stood waiting for something, but she had already received it. Another tear came to her eye but she was determined not to let it drop.

_He hasn't changed one bit._

Lifting Hanabi carefully, Sakura ran towards the hangar doors. Maybe if she got to the infirmary, she could treat the girl before her injuries went critical. Her feet felt heavy and she was overcome with exhaustion, but she believed. Even when Rin sent more than a dozen chakra entrails at her with the intention of finally killing her, she didn't stop believing in Naruto for one second.

_Seems I haven't changed that much either, _she said to her heart. Sakura disappeared behind the now-extinguished wreckage of the door. Her tears left as well, safe in the knowledge that Naruto had her gratitude.

The blonde appeared in front of the sadistic auburn-haired woman, two enhanced Rasengan swirling in his palms. The attack shoved into her body; the spiraling winds shot her upward, but thanks to some quick reflexes, she already began to float backwards to minimize the impact. Her body suit, torn in several places from Hanabi's constant attacks, fell apart as her gray chakra began to cover her body like a blanket.

"Damn," said Naruto as he went through a few handseals and began to concentrate numerous swirling winds at his feet. After one second, the winds compressed into two transparent shapes of feathers. "Fuiton: Air Boots!"

Sensing her transformation, noting how it resembled his tailed state, Naruto projected an invisible line of chakra towards Rin and catapulted himself upwards. To any one else, it would have seemed that he teleported before the woman, but the missing Nin knew better. Before Naruto's punch got connect with her jaw, she caught his arm and heaved him towards the sandy terrain, several miles down and continued her transformation.

Back-flipping once, Naruto looked up at his enemy, only to see her smile outlined maliciously against the sun, the remainder of her body black, like some kind of jackal. The blanket of chakra was still encasing her body, but it was incomplete in several places around the legs and stomach. Rearing her fist back and then shooting it forward, a violent wave of black energy exploded past Naruto's cheek, nearly lopping off his ear. Naruto shot forth into the sky and then stopping in mid-air generated 30 shadow clones to take on Rin. The girl stood patiently, hovering intermittently until all the clones teleported before her using the Flying Thundergod Jutsu. Each one of them yelled triumphantly, smacking her body several times with numerous kicks and punches but to no avail as she barely budged an inch. The original slowly shifted into a two-tailed state; the Rasengan in his hands grew more unstable as it blazed with Fuiton chakra,

With a smile playing on her lips, Rin's black energy shot forth in all directions, eliminating the clones with a violent flash. The breather was only temporary as Naruto teleported to Rin's blind-spot to deliver the killing blow, but was surprised when she caught his arm again.

Rather than throwing him, she simply placed a hand on his head and let loose an enormous torrent of energy. The attack spread apart the clouds in the sky, cutting a clean path of orange along the twilight sky. Moments later, she was admiring the blonde's charred head.

"Was this really all you had in the end? A big mouth?" Disappointment was communicated to the remains of his face. The grip on his head tightened, causing small pieces of ash to peel off. Just when it seemed he would silt into invisible atmospheric dust, the demon vessel latched onto her limb. She wasn't frozen by the pure intensity of hatred flowing forth from his emotions—rather she felt sad that his azure eyes had been replaced by deep red slits. The remaining charred flesh was shed to reveal a new coat of muscle and ligament.

The Kyuubi's chakra materialized in the form of two more tails, executing the remains of his battered cape; he didn't care though, his shaking mass loosening any white threads left.

Clutching Rin's neck, a Rasengan, twice as big as his normal one, shot straight into her stomach. A stinging pain was achieved, but the damage was only half of what he expected. The attack had only just begun. Naruto clasped her tightly in a bear-hug, applied a sudden burst of power and broke her back in half. Keeping his hands joined behind her, Naruto crafted more hand-seals, generating a large hurricane of Rasengan around their bodies. "Rasenshippu: Kamaitachi!"

Rin's vision, already out of focus, registered a few of the hundreds swirling blades, all cutting into her body, missing her enemy. The violent winds from the outside of the tornado seemed under the blonde's control; with the relative calm of the inner vortex, Naruto sped at down into the sand with her body. With a severe crack, the blonde imbedded Rin's body into the hard sand. Adding two more clones to his attack, they teleported down into the wreckage and kicked Rin upwards. Their creator's left foot had already spun 1800 degrees before connecting with her skull, neatly cleaving it in half from the inside and relieving her of any more aerial presence. The three collectively gathered; the seals already on their finishing touch, the sand fell apart at their palms' impact. "Doton: Earth Spikes no Jutsu!"

One, then two, then five, later ten and ending in thirty, enormous spikes of rock pierced through the woman's body from her back. Upon reaching an enormous height, the upward spiral of pain that Rin was undergoing halted. She looked towards the Narutos, her attention seeking her different limbs.

"Ah, look at that," the auburn female raised her head a little from the spike through her neck and noted the object some distance away. "One of my arms couldn't take it any longer. Very nice going, Uzumaki." Rin struggled a little, plucking her legs first from the bed of jagged earth, the pain affecting her thighs and ankles, which had been dislocated, subsiding. Regaining some vertical base, she used her spare arm and caught herself upright, a snake-like mass of flesh beginning its short journey down her right shoulder blade.

_Shit…By sending out waves of invisible chakra all around her, she's able to anticipate the path of my Thundergod jutsu. Her reflexes are nothing to joke about but that chakra suit is what worries me…_

_I'll lose all perception of myself totally. _Rin cut loose from some of the earth spires and cleaned up her wounds using medical jutsu before standing atop the platform and observing Naruto. _She has a strong control over her Bijuu. It seems to be almost as powerful as the Kyuubi... I have to defeat her without going over the 6 tail mark, though…_

"Hmm? What's the matter Uzumaki-san?" A large amount of scales was gradually forming around Rin's body as her chakra's bursts became less violent, the aura pervading her frame more subtle, as it pulsed around her body at regular intervals. "Don't tell me you have no more fight left in you…"

"No more fight? Ha! You honestly don't know who the hell you're dealing with, lady!!"

"That girl with the pink hair…she screamed very loudly when I stabbed each and every one of her limbs."

Tightening his forehead with anger, Naruto's fangs grew even longer. "What did you—"

"She screamed louder and louder but I didn't stop. Eventually I concentrated on making her wounds wider so that she could die from blood-loss, but it seemed that she was in enough pain from having her arm and leg broken. I think she was crying and saying something about failing you but that may have just been my imagination." For a few seconds, Naruto and Rin just stood staring at each other, his face locked in fury and hers in blank anticipation that abruptly broke out into a smile. "Did that make you angry enough? Will you make even more tails? Will you? Will you??"

"Hmmph. Looks like that's one thing I'll never be able to change," said Naruto with a sigh shifting into an angry grin. "Bashing people who mock my friends!" A fifth tail began to appear behind Naruto. And in that instant, he had forgotten what a shinobi was and who the first Hokage had been, and for what reasons he had helped build the Hidden Village of the Leaf. The effects had already begun— losing his personality to the Kyuubi had been negated by the seal, but now with each additional tail, the person he was would die, one wave of power at a time. Unclenching his fists to make two Rasengans, one in each hand, Naruto was suddenly offset by a rumble. When he looked in Rin's general direction, he could see that the crude tower of Doton spikes had crumbled into dust, he body now fully healed.

"Ah, it's time," she said as the suit of chakra engulfed her face and hair completely until she was like on human shaped mass of black just hovering in the air. Then the chakra suit began to unravel carefully into a full blown gown that extended past her legs. Around her neck, Naruto found a pitch-black scarf that seemed to have its own ebb. Rin's general appearance was the same, aside from the strange wavy gown. She looked upon Naruto with some fascination, her gray eyes now permanently set in that steely shade. "It's very pretty, don't you think? The stable form of one who calls on all the tails of her Bijuu?"

_Already at her limit? But how is she so calm? _

"It doesn't matter much to me any more," muttered Naruto, "If I hold back, since the only thing I can manage now is fighting all-out and hoping you don't die." He looked to his two other copies.

"Scatter."

All three clones shot apart, the Thundergod giving them a sizeable distance from both Rin and themselves. In response, the Eight Tails vessel stretched out each of her fingers; a mass of black energy poured through her veins before she began firing dozens of lasers at Naruto. The two clones concentrated on protecting the original with heaps of walls of earth; Naruto himself had gone through a series of handseals, and oriented the attack into the sky. A large rumbling, followed by the parting of several meters of sand followed, before nearly 14 gargantuan dragons of earth rushed at Rin. The scarf around her neck began reforming, its black threads unweaving into a new form while simultaneously hooking onto her arm. First in the shape of a spear, the scarf pierced through the first wave, reducing about 5 dragons into dust; second, in the shape of a sword, the petite little wench rode on the slipstream of the sky and sliced through eight more dragons in one move. The final dragon was obliterated by a chakra entail, as her dress came undone to reveal not only her feminine traits, but 7 tail shaped whips. This grew to 14 and then 21 and then to 50, all which honed in on Naruto. The clones were too late in responding—each one received a half a dozen pierces before dissipating. Naruto worked out his Rasenshippu: Jutsu again, this time creating a dozen hurricanes of cutting wind while his opponent commanded all the splintered entrails to fire at once.

The arena of combat was reduced to little more than a new, monumentally sized crater of displaced sand. In between the renewed heat of fire was the blonde, his head bleeding openly, and one of his arms lying limp. So ruthless had the female become that even regenerating his health was not allowed; he halted before an enormous blast that nearly missed his skin by a whisker. Heaving a sigh of relief before feeling a slight disconnection, his scarlet eyes met her steel orbs. She had finally halted his movement. He looked up from his back to stare at his two legs that had left his body.

"I asked this once, but I think I'll put forth the query again: Is a big mouth all you have to your credit?" Her dress had already refolded and now trailed behind her, hovering above the ground furtively.

"You're not much of the quiet type either, lady." _Humor her. Distract her._ And while she wasn't noticing, his eyes grew a shade deeper.

"Ah, you're right." Her new-found seriousness had found its shape in the form-altering scarf still attached to her hand. It was beginning its shift from its scythe shape from a minute before, the result which lay in his mutilated state. "This weapon…I took a long time to learn this technique. The man who showed it to me so long ago…I wonder what he would've thought of it."

"The way I see it, you don't look like the 'easy-to-get-along-with' type. Is that guy even alive would be the real question…"

"Hmm? Ah, heavens no. He lost his life." The opportunity to strike suddenly arose from what looked on her face to be…sadness? "He…He tried to save me, but I guess he wasn't strong enough. Or rather, maybe I was too afraid to help him?"

Naruto's sixth tail emerged, with the regeneration of his legs. The two Rasengan in his hands had plunged into the ground; an enormous storm was generated, one that obscured Rin's vision. At the slightest hint of an attack, she disappeared into the air, and began to scope the wreckage for the Kyuubi vessel. She was still emitting those odd chakra waves—he had would have to contend with using the Thundergod technique a little more carefully. This didn't bother Naruto that much, as the wings of wind on his feet reappeared and he sped towards Rin, using his father's move to alternate between different positions as he skated through the air crudely, mirages appearing in his wake. The earth-hardened fist collided with Rin's face; a second punch was in the offering but she successfully blocked it. The reaction was so fast that any one else would have missed (_Except probably Sasuke, _he reminded himself smugly, happy that at least he hadn't forgotten his rival in the state he was now in)—Rin's chakra emerged from the black dress and lashed out at Naruto after blocking his attack. It then pierced him several times, each tail taking a turn until the last shot forth a burst of energy at his body as he stayed suspended on one tail. Jerking free, Naruto glided down quickly, the demonic chakra in his veins healing his injuries, and decided that the only way to counter Rin's excessive power was to fight with the same.

The Rasengan was powered up as normal but immediately turned red and made a howling sound, almost like it was shrieking in pain. Naruto rushed at Rin with this attack, simultaneously building up a huge amount of chakra in his mouth. The woman dodged the Rasengan and broke Naruto's wrist, but with his other hand keeping her primed, he shot out a streaming blast of red and violet energy intermixed with demonic fire. The echoes of the impact created shockwaves, splitting the sky in half, as they hit her body. Nonetheless, despite her head being blasted back, so far that she broke her neck _again_, upon healing, she hit Naruto in probably the one place offering the least protection: Below the belt.

Clenching his knees together in pain, the blonde shouted with anger, "What the hell was that?!? I know there's a limit to how many jutsu a shinobi can know, but geez lady!!"

The comic relief of the situation evaporated when she pointed an index finger at his face. The black energy from before was now forming a humongous cage around him, almost sphere-like in shape, as its various bars stung at him painfully, even nulling the protection the kitsune's chakra had been giving him. _This could be bad, _thought Naruto, amazed at how deeply the wounds went, and how little they began recovering.

Heaving the cage in the air, Rin placed both her hands before her. Something—Naruto couldn't tell what—was emerging from them, almost slithering out in the form of chakra. Its scaly hide was visible to him; its harrowed snout roared at him, its eyes a maniacal red.

"Meet my companion," she stated lovingly, "And my Bijuu. The Eight-Headed King of Dragons, Tiamat."

The familiar of a Bijuu would often activate once a jinchuuriki had reached his or her limit. For it to be materializing in its own coherent form startled Naruto. Building up a head of steam and ramming it into one of the solid monuments within the desert, the Hacchibi familiar turned the towering mass of stone into rubble. Caged like an animal, to be beat down by one—there was a limit to how many similar catch-22 situations he could experience in a day. And this was just _not _his day.

**--X--**

**Hokage's Quarters**

**Topmost Floor, FAF Haven**

The elegant timber of her new table shone brilliantly in the light. On one end, a globe with little specks of fake snow peppered within it reflected the setting sun into a miniature lens-flare. And though she still considered the comfort of the chair to die for, Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage, was in no mood to sit in it. She eyed the bed she had been sleeping on for the past few weeks. It was now cleaner than ever, its silk smooth sheets free of all creases. How she often cherished those naps she would take when she had the time (more accurately, when she _created_ the time) in her tenure as the Hokage of Konoha. Bringing the cup of sake to her lips, she reminisced about the invasion and how it took away everything. The memory or Jiraiya arriving one day in the morning with Maxi to discuss the reconstruction plans was also something noteworthy in her mind's catalogue. The Toad Sannin was in fact sitting right next to her, their aged bodies, one suffering the ravages of time with honesty and the other hiding it unashamedly, separated by a simple table. The lamp on the table provided the only illumination in the room, the only untarnished object in the twilight.

'Fighting back the evil,' 'Defeating the opposers,' 'Survival,' 'Honoring the dead,' 'Never giving up'—When she took on the post of Hokage, did she ever think this much would happen? Tailed beasts, armies of thousands, other-worldly jutsu, giant airships, and shinobi with god-like abilities—where did she fit into this era of war and destruction? She looked at her team-mate and he returned her smile. This was to be their drink to commemorate Orochimaru. They did it every year around this time, mourning the loss of one of the Sannin in their own special way. If anything, they were happy another menace to the world had been eradicated. And if nothing, they drowned every little sorrow they could of not being able to say good-bye.

Tsunade thought about this in broader terms. Those who were betrayed by the ones they loved…Through all the trials and tribulations in trying to annihilate them, often marring themselves permanently in the process, were they really just striving towards that one last moment when they could look into their cold eyes and say good-bye to not the demon outside but the human they loved on the inside? Could all that effort just be to find that one last bit of humanity? Could that be the power of love she had seen in Hinata in their fight before the village was invaded?

The Fifth threw back another cup and set it upon the table. Medicine came naturally yet thinking too much never could.

"You know, you could always go and assist the others," said Jiraiya as he set his own cup down and waited with his head resting against his fist. "I should be more than enough to deal with him."

"You're talking about some one who's strong enough to keep the entire Akatsuki in line," Tsunade replied wearily. "We have no idea of his power. Even though he's waltzing right into our turf…If I lose you too, I—I don't think—"

"Ha!" Jiraiya grinned widely. "Are you gonna cry for me? That'd be nice, though I don't think I'll get as many tears as Dan did! Haha!"

Lowering her head a little she muttered tiredly. "Asshole…"

"Tell you what," he said, his voice assuming a semi-serious tone. "Let's make a bet. Put everything you have on me dying. You always pick the losing bet anyway. In return, I'll come back alive. How's that sound?"

"No deal," Tsunade said as she looked to her companion with a rosy complexion. "Not until I make the same conditions."

"…The people of our village…When everything is over, they'll be expecting to see your face again. I don't think they could feel safe if another Hokage suddenly comes to the helm."

"It's alright." The footsteps outside the door of the suite were close enough to ascertain his distance. "If we just eliminate the leader, everything will work out. And also, who says they won't feel safe? We still have Naruto and if not him, then—"

"That Hyuuga girl?"

Tsunade simply uncrossed her legs and shook her head amusingly. "There you go again."

The door, bound by strong electrical mechanisms that only yielded to the commands of a keycard, opened suddenly. She still had her henge as Shinta enabled. Should she drop it while fighting these two? Inwardly, Hinata smiled. _If only that woman could see me now. And if only Sasuke-kun could see which of the two of us is truly better._ The brown hair and orange eyes were still in place as 'Shinta' walked calmly into the room. His long black robe was still untouched after the attacks of Sasuke and Hinata(oh, how she cringed to call _her _of all people that). The red clouds stopped fluttering as he looked to the Godaime and then to the Frog Sannin and then back to the Godaime.

"Good evening. I hope I'm not disturbing any thing." The polite words were laced with an arrogant tone.

"Not at all," said Jiraiya as he stood up. "I'd offer you a drink, but I have this thing about not being courteous to those who cause wide-spread destruction and suffering."

_Here we go again_. "I apologize if your simple brain cannot understand the greater intricacies of my plan. I would apologize also for having to invade your new home like this. However, I must confess that the boredom was killing me."

"B-Boredom?" said Tsunade as she clenched her fists. Her intolerance for alcohol always came out through her attitude when her somersaulting stomach wasn't letting it out in some dark alley. Nonetheless, even looking at this man before her made her sick. So sick that she would have coined a new disease for that feeling one got when being around individuals like him…

"Pain," said Shinta.

"What?"

"Nothing," he replied with a smile. "Just talking to myself. As I was saying, I was getting bored of waiting for all of you to come to me, so I decided to come here myself. Godaime-sama, you wished to explore the farthest to the east of the shinobi world for me, correct? You'll doubtless find my headquarters when you reach there." He coughed a little before correcting himself. "I'm sorry. I meant _if _you get there. I'm not in favor of too many outside elements interfering in what's to happen, but if I can create enough hatred in your hearts and minds for me, then you'll come by yourselves, flocking with your anger like moths to a flame. The only one I'm interested in…I wonder if he'll come though…"

"Sounds disgustingly romantic and I have Jiraiya next to me for crying out loud, but I don't really give a damn for your plans," said Tsunade as she cracked her fists and stretched the muscles in her neck and shoulder. "If you think you're tough enough to take us down without a fight, then you're even more shit-headed than I thought."

"So quick to die now, are we?" Shinta moved to the window pane and examined the numerous large glass sheets adorning the wall to the outside. "Don't worry. I only wish to make you suffer. I have no intention of killing you." Generating two blue chakra blades, the leader of Akatsuki opened his hands in an embrace. "Shall we begin then?"

**--X--**

Running through the hall to the elevator, Sakura looked up through a window to the outside at the sudden noise. An enormous beam of fire erupted from the top-most floor of the Haven and she could faintly glimpse two figures flying out of the window, locked in mortal combat. Their falling masses caused another explosion to erupt, this time in the open docking area. The pink haired medic laid Hanabi down gently and started to heal her wounds again. The numerous soldier pills the little brown-haired girl was carrying surprised the medic, almost nearly as much as the Sharingan in her right eye. Ignoring the mysteries of exactly what kind of training she went through, Sakura had ingested another pill and started to repair the areas inside her abdomen using her Chakra Scalpel technique. With several of the bleeding tissues mended and a few clots removed, she set to work on regenerating the portion of broken ribs she received from Rin's punch. The treatment she had administered was not very useful for the bleeding Sharingan eye, however. On closer examination, she found that Hanabi's right cornea had degraded to a large extent. In addition, the three tomoe were now two, a return to the most basic form of the copy wheel. She remembered Kakashi telling her that when one uses the Mangekyou Sharingan too much, their eye-sight degrades; maybe this was an effect of the killing of numerous cells that couldn't be regenerated in the life-span of the individual?

Keeping these matters aside, she hefted the frail Hyuuga onto her back, silently thanking her again and again for saving her from Rin's psychotic ways. _Now, to get to the medical ward and bandage those wounds. _

Upon halting in front of the elevator and clicking on the button several times, she was shocked to find Maxi rushing past the hall adjacent to her. "Kagura-san!? What are you doing here?!"

"Ah!" he shouted before immediately doubling back and greeting her. "I was on my way to meet Tsunade-sama and after confirming my orders, I was on my way to the bridge when, but I saw that enormous explosion in her suite from here—" His eyes shifted to the uniquely pretty girl on Sakura's back. "Er…I do hope she's going to be all right?"

"What? Of course she will be! I just need to get her to the emergency room!"

Inspecting the lift, Maxi signaled to Sakura. "This one's not functioning, but fortunately, there's a more secure and quicker express elevator that only I have access to. Since it leads directly to the ward, we should be able to save some time! Let's go!"

"Hai! Thank you, Kagura-san!" remarked Sakura as they proceeded down the hallway. The signs painted on the ship's hallways indicated they were heading to the dining hall. Why he would have an elevator that made the dining hall closer and which was only accessible to him was yet another mystery she thought bore investigation. But as soon as they rounded the corner, Sakura gasped.

Standing before them, and who just appeared from one of the halls in the intersection, was member no. 5 of the Dusk Squad. _I thought Hanabi was supposed to take care of him! _Sakura immediately stopped in her tracks. _Could it be he evaded her attention until it was too late? _Maxi was reaching slowly for the gun in his left pocket when a shuriken struck his forearm, and a voice ordered him not to try it. The man walked closer as Sakura whispered her concern for him.

"Damn that hurts…" Removing the shuriken, he clenched his arm to stop the bleeding. "He's got the hall to the elevator sealed off…The only options we have is to either head left to the dining hall or defeat him here. Sakura-san, do you think you can do that?"

Her hesitant look was his immediate answer as he looked back upon the enemy. However, she answered solemnly. "If we lead him left, I can get enough space to distract him while you take Hanabi-san and make a run for it. Right now, getting some distance is our best strategy."

"No choice then!" Maxi grabbed her hand with excitement, as the three of them ran for the dining hall. The fifth member chuckled a little, knowing full well that that side was a dead end. If there was one manufacturing fault with the Haven, it was that it had been constructed as a transport and battle ship, not as an arena for combat. The spaces to escape were too few; the number of alternate routes wasn't enough; and there the security was too meager to compensate for the destruction of those stupid sentry guns. He took his time to meander through the hall as the three of them burst inside. A large number of circular dining tables, a bar, and a stage complete with speakers could be seen. If anything, it reflected more of a restraint cum lounge than a simple place to eat.

"There!" Maxi pointed to the stage and began to take Hanabi in his arms. "Just try to maneuver him towards the stage. Hanabi-san and I will hide behind the bar and make our escape when we can!"

Sakura simply stood and looked at him with an irritated look in her eyes. "_This _is a dining hall? No one ever told me of such a nice place…And is that a karaoke station?!"

"Could you hurry up already?!" he shouted with anger, as the kunoichi passed her patient to him. The boy scattered away and got to the drinks vicinity when the Dusk Squad member showed up. He watched tensely, wondering when would be the right time to make a run for it, but was a bit shocked when he found something behind the bar…

"Woman, you have no idea what you're up against," the man said cockily. "But then, judging from that battle with No.2, you must have been prepared to fight us, right?"

"Maybe. It's not like I'd have anything else to do with Akatsuki's dogs." She raised her fists up; the tinge of pain resounded through her arms immediately. _My muscles…Withdrawal already? _The pain couldn't get in her way now, especially not when she had to protect Hanabi and—

A crash was heard and suddenly Maxi appeared sprawled across a now-shattered dinner table. "Kagura-san!" Arriving to his aid, she found that he had no external injuries, aside from a large red swelling on his cheek. It seemed like being thrown through the table had knocked him out but then, besides the unconscious Hanabi, there was no one who could have possibly done that.

"I am a failure to my village," mumbled a drunken voice. It some how caused Sakura to feel relieved and worried at the same time; twirling around revealed the reason as the black-haired man in bandages continued crooning. "Even then, I will not allow any women to be harmed…Gai-shenshei!! I vish I could have done more! Vatch me, shenshei!!" The young man spotted her, and before Sakura could have said anything, he was face-to-face (though it felt more like breath-to-face), his eyes in wonderland. "Shakura-shan!! Ish that really you?"

"H-Hai, it's me…" _I think I'm going to be sick…_

He saw the blood on her clothes and began to weep once more. "Not only da village but now, Shakura-shan is dying! Oh the agony!!" Gently putting Hanabi down on top of the unconscious Maxi, he wept even louder in her shoulder. Not knowing how to react, the pink-haired kunoichi patted him on the head nervously.

"N-No, no! I'm fine…Really…" The stench of alcohol really was deep—had he been swimming in this stuff or what?—but the immediate fear was just that: How much? "I-I thought you were told to stay with the other patients…"

"Shniff…I couldn't help it…Just too much presshure…But thank goodness Shakura-shan is alright…"

"Yes! But, er…" An idea entered into her head suddenly. Pointing to her enemy, she told the green spandex-wearing man, "That guy tried to touch me in a bad place…He also tried to mess around with Hanabi-san and when she rejected him, he…er, told her she was ugly. Oh, and…um, he thinks Gai-sensei is a coward and loser in over-tight spandex…Among other things…"

"What the hell are you spouting, you stupid woman," said member no. 5 annoyingly. His view of her had been cut off though—instead, the quivering drunk took a few steps toward him. "Whatever. What's wrong, pal? Angry that kids like you can't beat us?"

Getting Rock Lee angry when he was drunk was one thing. Pushing him over the edge and lighting him on fire while making fun of Gai while he was drunk…Now that was another realm of rage altogether. And with only one swift spinning kick into the man's mocking teeth, converting into nothing more than a mass of bones, he spitefully blasted his enemy out of the dining hall, through the chakra-reinforced structure, and into the desert, where his body seized skidding after a few dozen meters or so. And when he looked towards Sakura with a lazy grin and a thumb up before promptly falling on his rear and snoring in a sitting position, her eyebrows twitched with incompetence.

_All that work I did just to beat one, and he simply kicks this guy in the face. _Insignificant as her earlier efforts felt though, she walked up and began smacking Lee in the face, urging him to wake up. The number of tremors rocking the Haven began to increase, with some aftershocks traveling from left to right and vice versa. The rocking above her was getting more furious as well—could that have been where Tsunade was fighting?

**--X--**

The numbers of scrolls laid out were now obscured, not by the constantly shifting dunes of time's quantity but by the lavish scenery that had been inspired. Monumental trees rose to the skies, nearly touching the clouds, with a narrow valley and one single waterfall adorning them. Various herbivores and carnivores were roaming side-by-side, indifferent to the laws of nature. Mocking birds hovered from one station to the next with the dragonflies on standby in case investigation into narrow domain was required. The woodpeckers were already on look-out, as several bears, exuding sheer bloodlust scurried through the bushes, tearing at anything discovered to be living. The only marked difference between this scenery and that of the desert it contrasted so starkly against was its composition: Everything, be it the leaves and their veins, the sunlight filtering in through the canopies of leaves or the wildlife claiming the domain was monochromatic. Dictated by a single shade, sketched by a single set of hands. A clone made entirely of ink stood before Sai, seated in a meditative pose.

Upon the deaths of a fleet of butterflies by an ear-ringing explosion muffled by the depths of the woods, the clone concurred with the reaction. "West, 170 yards. Near the waterfall." The artist dispelled his creation and quickly congregated about a dozen enormous birds and flying fish to arrest the enemy. Another clone was crafted and it seated itself on top of an oni-like tiger that bounded to the location. Half a minute later, he dispelled his clone, only to be on the receiving end of another explosion. The wasp embedded itself into his head before detonating; the mass of cerebral matter left behind quickly converted into another mess of black ink. On a branch just above sat the second artist, one who was proprietor to the earlier diversion with his clay clone.

"Damn this hide-and-seek bullshit, hm! Where the hell is this loser?!" Flying high up did nothing; the trees would tighten their cover as the sun's colorless rays gathered in that one spot. Also, escape was annoying. What he wanted was to blow stuff up, to send his opponent straight to kingdom come using his artistic beauties. And for that matter, it was what he had been doing. Until he realized his attacks had no effect on the manufactured world. The death of the one he thought to be the master puppeteer pulling the inky strings on this bonafide painting was only another clue—that his opponent was no where in this world to begin with. He banged the tree hard; his supply of clay had been depleted as well. With a scream to shatter the sound barrier, the exploding clay fighter erupted. "Enough with your goddamn game, you little prick!! When I find you, I'm gonna stuff you full of explosives and blow up your insides, one organ at a time!! Son of a bitch!!"

"It seems you're losing your mental balance," came a voice next to him. Deidara winced upon hearing that boring, indifferent voice. The bark of the tree reformed into an inkish portrayal of Sai's face. His lack of expression in a place like this was ironic to say the least. "Maybe if you stayed still, I wouldn't have to resort to such tricks. I actually thought you to be stronger than when Team 7 fought you those two years ago, so using my most powerful jutsu seemed the only option. How was I to know you would be nothing more than some feminine-looking narcissist?" The black lips paused for a second before they curved upwards. "Do you even have a penis, I wonder?"

Yet another explosion.

"Screw this shit." Deidara opened up his bag and removed two special pouches, one marked 'C2' and the other 'C4'.

Outside the landscape of the unreal, Sai rested on one knee, sustaining his jutsu; Temari, Kankurou and the Kazekage Gaara stood behind him. Dragging the manic bomber away from the ship as far as possible, even putting Sunagakure in danger as it nearly touched their outskirts— each had sustained their own injuries in the process. The massive chakra consumption of Gaara from saving the Haven was still in effect, and aside from restraint and defense, there was little he could do on the attacking front. He had already broken his left arm trying to save his sister who had her fan torched by the explosions. Kankurou's puppets lay in shambles; the second time an Akatsuki Nin had faced him and done the same. Deidara fought them so collectively, that he was barely trying. Their role was an understatement though—if they hadn't fought the blonde like they did, Sai would have never had the time or the advantage to sneak up and commence his jutsu against him.

Gaara expressed some concern in the blood emptying from the boy's palm into the laid out portrait of the jungle and its cliffs before him. It seemed that asserting his entire, god-like control over the jutsu required him to be in constant contact with it, the ink and his blood forming a sort of contract. A long river of blot extending from the woods to his scroll emphasized the remote control he was exerting.

"Will this be enough to kill him?" inquired the red-haired boy, not once taking his eyes off of the village of Sand. "It would be a problem if he unleashed his most powerful techniques near Suna."

"He has already begun," said Sai, as he made preparations to subdue the jutsu. His control on it was still imperfect, his chakra reserves limited. On top of that, these Doton jutsu looked different from the ones already used against the Sand trio. "The canopy is being belted by a large clay dragon…Exploding creatures are hitting against the roof, and the dragon itself is about to be sacrificed to create an exit. However, his main method of attacking seems to be something even more dangerous."

"Dangerous? What could possibly be worse than everything else he's shown us?" Kankurou refrained from yelling. His sternum was yet to recover from the earlier shockwave, not to mention the shrapnel of Karasu's remnants that had pierced his entire body.

The largest of explosions thus seen so far had reverberated in the air, causing the very ground to shake. Sai patched up the cut on his hand before standing up and observing the enormous giant before him. His expression remained as empty as ever save for a little amused smile. "I really didn't mean to call you a narcissist. I see I was wrong."

Standing on top of the enormous Garuda was a gloating Deidara. Panicking was never something Sai was famous for, given that he didn't know how to. Taking out another empty scroll, he began to sketch on it.

"What do you think now, you bastard?! This is the full beauty of my art, hm! You'll be torn apart by my C4! Not just you but those three weaklings as well, hm! Bwahaha!"

"I'd like to apologize," said Sai, fully aware of his words being unheard. Placing his palm on the paper, all the ink in the vicinity began to gather at his feet. "A shame I stopped using Suiton chakra with my art. Your one chance at eradicating it lay there, but oh well." The ink continued gathering until he could feel it becoming solid. The three Suna siblings jumped back upon seeing the huge pond of ink stretching out to them too. Slowly and slowly it rose up, its arms and legs becoming prominent until it formed the strangest of images: That of a young brown-haired boy. He looked to be dressed in Hunter Nin gear and yet all he had on his face was a smile. Sai settled on to his shoulder and smiled at Deidara.

"Hm? So you think you can beat me like that?" The Akatsuki criminal smiled viciously. _This gives me an idea! _"Let's see those if damn disdainful eyes of yours quiver before the might of my art or not, hm! Hahaha!"

"Indeed. Let's."

Garuda swung its enormous fist at Sai's giant, which blocked the incoming blow easily. The ink constituting his forearm began to swarm the hand of its opponent, supposedly in an effort to reach its master. Deidara simply formed a single seal while screaming, 'Katsu!' for all to hear. An explosion, small by the titans' standards yet large enough to send the entire limb of black down to the sand as it writhed and eventually evaporated, and then the clay fighter's goliath was in control. Looping its elastic arms around Sai's creation, it brought the two of them together in an enormous tussle.

"Too bad for you I trained Garuda in fighting as well, hm!! Can you imagine what'll happen if the same bombs from before enter into the atmosphere?! Everything will be wiped out, hm! Including that sand brat's precious village!"

"That would be a problem," observed Sai with a hand on his chin. "In that case, I would encase this entire creation," and at his mental behest, the ink began to envelop Garuda, submerging it deeper and deeper into the ocean of shadows. "Then, I would ask you to detonate it. Judging by that attack and your statement about it entering into the air, microscopic bombs seem to form its base, correct? Ones that you detonate as they enter the human body?"

Deidara, his hands ready to initiate the familiar single seal and take up the brunette's challenge, was motionless for a while. His laughter rang out maniacally, which was displaced by his anger in record time. "That's what I hate about people like you!! Those eyes of yours that disregard my beautiful art…this garbage of yours that you revel in…What does some one like you know about true artistic craft?! Every one knows that what's borne from a single moment of inspiration is the most breathtaking oracle in this world!!"

"Ah, really? However, I go by the other view. That which is formed through years of effort and lasts forever is what I would call fine art—"

"Who the hell asked you what you think?!" He could initiate the genocide at any time—half of Garuda was still out in the open after all—but no. Deidara had a point to prove. Could Sai's creation win out over his?

_Impossible…This asshole…His eyes are just like that damn Itachi…I'll show you, you bastard!!_

Upon the total submerging of Garuda, Deidara leapt off on a medium sized clay eagle and detonated it. The explosion of the elastic being first stretched outwards; the ink giant began its efforts to hold it back, plugging in whatever rips and seams appeared in its outer structure with its free hand. The impact then drew inwards before erupting into a million ink droplets. Its range was thankfully well out of the way of Sungakure but Sai, still unharmed by any of the explosions waited within the perimeter. He instructed the Kazekage to encase himself and his siblings inside a shell of sand, just in case his jutsu failed.

"Gyahaha! Now let's see you cower! KATSU!!"

The droplets were yet to blot the grounds; Sai was still determined to turn things right. Closing his eyes and forming a single tiger seal, the droplets erupted. A corresponding rain of ink was expected but when Deidara hadn't even felt any mild pleasure at the resounding blast, he knew something had gone terribly wrong. That's when he felt it—a small pink flower landed on his hand. Before crushing it bitterly, it burst into a plethora of black buds. Turning his attention to the sky, his pupils gazed upon a most extraordinary sight. The sky was littered with innumerable amounts of cherry blossoms, autumn leaves, rose petals, dandelions, chrysanthemums, lotus flowers and more.

Sai had turned the destructive attack into a gathering of the four seasons.

"Now, isn't that something even you would consider beautiful?" His smile was genuine as the silhouettes of those scattered goddesses stood against the pureness of early evening. The emotion his enemy so desperately wanted the receiver of his terrifying jutsu to display was there, only it wasn't in the negative. On the contrary, all his attacks seemed to have done was bolster the radiance that his eyes entailed as he continued admiring the picture he had just created.

He couldn't speak. He couldn't think. He couldn't, despite the small tear emitting from one of his eyes, cry. _This is…Without a doubt…_

But his ego once again came to the forefront. He rebuked the sensation of butterflies in his gut, and would continue to do so until death. "Don't screw with me," he repeated, his words stamping harder and harder into the anvil of his will. "You think you're better than me?! You and those messed-up eyes of yours?! I'll show you—" His robe was torn off, along with the underlying shirt, to reveal several stitched scars, one of them traversing the length of his chest. "Another one of my techniques I improved upon! This time, my artistry will kill you without fail!!" The thick threads were torn open to reveal a fangful mouth and its lengthy tongue. Deidara stuffed all the remaining clay into that one crevice, and smiled evilly as each and every vein in his body began to resonate with the sensation of sodium and nitrogen. "Art is a blast!!"

Two years ago, the blast generated would have spread out over a 10 km. radius, eradicating anything and everything in its path.

Sai scrunched his eye-brows. Deidara's arms had increased in mass greatly, as if one had injected several clods of matter into them. His legs were even odder, showcasing their blade-like skates. His left arm sprouted several tentacles with claws on their ends while his right simply transformed into one great bear's paw. Nothing compared to his face though. His eyes and teeth were gone. The sockets and orifice now housed one tongue each, lashing back and forth, their drool smearing the clayish body.

The earlier jutsu weren't enough to warrant his appreciation, but no one would have resorted to something as grotesque as this to gain recognition. One part of him said that S-rank criminal wanted his acknowledgement, while another part saw the emergence of an artistic rival before him. His twisted expression cackled, the depth of his voice having disappeared, and with what little humanity he retained, Deidara gestured the ripping out of Sai's throat before approaching his back with unbelievable speed.

"**Round and round and round the circle goes! Round and round the cycle of bloodshed goes! Round and round—"**

He had to draw the line now. Hinata may have been cute and very funny blabbering like some kind of prophetic idiot, but singing was not her strong suit. "Shut the hell up." With the cacophony seizing, Sasuke noticed the scenery had changed beneath him once again. Like this hadn't happened a hundred times, but now it struck something within him. It brought not a memory to his attention but a confirmation. To head back to the Hinata he had kissed under the full moon, the irritation initially felt when he became her mentor and then the comfort arising from being her training partner…Some how it made sense.

It made sense. _All of it_

His Mangekyou Sharingan blazed at Hinata, who stopped speaking to bear witness to the scene at her feet. The Alter of Soulsalways looked most magnificent in the night-time with the fires from the neighboring village giving it the slightest tints of orange against its bluish midnight shades. But that one sight that haunted her for so long in her thoughts now appeared before her.

That sight of her holding his lifeless body in her arms. Sasuke's lifeless body.

"So it was you…You started all this…This madness." One self was now in full force, with the information of the other providing an impetus to his rage. The creation of Akatsuki, the ritual of releasing the Tengu, the hidden powers that it contained, the true purpose of the Divine Valkyrie jutsu, the death of his mother, brother, his companions, her betrayal to their promise, and what's more—the destruction of an entire dimension. All for the sake of…of…

"**Yes. It was me…I'm surprised you're still alive, Sasuke. If I had known that…If I had only taken the chance to say good-bye one last time…" **

Hyuuga Hinata, the leader of the now-extinct Uchiha Hyuuga alliance gave a slight blush before smiling, red tears pouring forth.

"**I guess Hina really messed up this time, huh?"**

* * *

And the saga continues (or rather ends) in two weeks! 

Major thanks to **clockwork starlight** and the awesomely grail of awesomeness that is her guide to writing at http://clockwork-starlight(dot)deviantart (dot)com (slash)art (slash)No-one-likes-an-ugly-nude-57996810. Yes, it increased the time I wanted to spend revising this chapter, but the refinement of writing was worth it.


	15. Announcement

Hey there. If you're a reader, or a fan of 'My Eyes', then you may not be happy with what I'm about to say. 

As an author, I wanted to stick with this story...with the entire Hikari saga all the way to the end. I wanted to shock, surprise, maybe even make some of you cry. It looks like that won't be happening.

At least for some time.

Due to tendinitis in my right, and therefore dominant, hand, I've had some trouble writing. It started nearly three months ago; it's gotten to the point where I feel pain even if I type with my little cast on. It will take many months to heal. Hopefully, I haven't screwed it up so badly that it could take years, as it sometimes does to those with this injury.

If I were any one else for that matter, I'd lie down and accept it; but I'm me and I chose to fight it. To a reckless degree. The only, and I repeat _only,_ reason I've decided to stand down is because of a promise I made with some one I care about, to stay away from anything that could aggravate the condition until it got better. I'm a man of my word, for better or worse.

All my stories will be going on a hiatus, until I can get my hand back into a working condition. I wished to let each and every person who at least checked out this story to know that. I have no plans to abandon something like this that's been my blood and sweat for the past one year, where some mornings I'd just wake up and have no other purpose to live other than to update and create these stories.

So for all of you who supported me, all of you who decided to take the insanely crazy ride that was 'My Eyes', all of you who still yearn to know what could possibly happen next, thank you. Without your support, without those tiny little digits telling me that some one, at least one person, was checking out my story, I wouldn't have come this far, or be willing to come back.

For those interested, you can head to the Tower of Gaia, a forum of mine where I review fanfics to either scoop out stuff, find out what's worth reading and what to stay away from, or just to appreciate my over-analytical dissections of fanfiction. Any review requests will be honored to the best of my capabilities.

Thank you, and good night.

Shiranui


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